Good Times Together
by MagicAlpha
Summary: A collection of some short stories about our favorite fox and rabbit and the moments they share together. Most stories will be about Nick and Judy, but will occasionally feature some other familiar faces. Some will have connected ideas, but most are in no particular order.
1. Festival in Tundratown

"Just a few more steps," Nick said, a paw shielding his bunny companion's view and the other leading her. He wanted the first glance to be a surprise, and so he wouldn't allow Judy to do any peeking until they got to the very heart of the action.

For the longest time, the fox had been anticipating Tundratown's large Winter Solstice Festival that started around this time of year. While the event was its most extravagant at a different date, he was too excited to wait any longer and insisted that the two of them head out whenever possible. Even though the town was so much prettier on other days (particularly later in the month), Nick was still very certain that Judy was going to be awestruck when she saw what the festival had to offer. For awhile he could only envisage what her reaction would be, but now was the time for him to enjoy this moment with her.

Stopping ahead, the fox lifted the large russet paw off of Judy's blocked face.

"Alrighty, we're here!" Nick said jovially, the bunny's eyes still closed but soon opening to the striking scenery. Just as the fox had suspected, Judy's eyes lit up and her mouth hung wide open. At a loss for words, Judy simply observed the wondrous extravaganza that was now laid out before her. Bunnyburrow always held its fair share of special events, but it simply didn't compare to how large in size the Winter Solstice Festival really was.

Nick simply observed the mirthful smile written across Judy's face. Now pumped up with enthusiasm, Judy quickly dragged the vulpine to see everything that this event had in store for the two of them.

Tundratown was a beautiful, snow-covered sight to begin with, but some of the different decorations added to the spectacle made the district even more exquisite. Reaching what was referred to as the heart of the town, Nick and Judy joined the all of the other mammals crowding the area.

A mixture of white and blue lights shined brightly against the tiny snowflakes that started to fall down. Booths were available on all sides, with fun carnival-like games awaiting anyone who wished to play. The sounds of cheerful music resonated around them, providing a sense of joy and adding to the wintery ambience.

As Judy helped herself to exploring the rest of the frosted sights of the festival, Nick looked around and caught sight of something in the left corner. A group of small kits were playing in the thick bundles of snow, one of them in the group declaring a friendly snowball fight. Being the kit at heart that he was, the sight of the others playing around put Nick in a very jocular mood.

Judy started to come a little bit closer in range, gazing up at the nighttime sky. With a sly grin on his face, Nick readied his arm and unexpectedly pummeled a snowball towards her. The cold sensation hit her fur abruptly.

"Fox one, bunny zero," he childishly proclaimed.

As she let out a serious-sounding grunt, Nick couldn't help but laugh at Judy with the snow running down her cheeks. Such a kit, she thought.

"Come on, Carrots," Nick said, giggling slightly in between his words. "I was just-"

He was interrupted when a snowball hit him square in the muzzle, catching him off guard. He let out a chuckle as he wiped the snow off of him. "Okay, I'll admit that I deserved that."

Another snowball was thrown towards the fox with perfect precision, a third one (a bit smaller than the others) joining soon after.

Judy started pawing for piles of snow, swiftly molding them into snowballs that were ready to be thrown at her designated target. Right when she about throw another one, Nick put his paws up in the air as he embraced for the impact.

"Okay, okay," he said. "I surrender, Fluff!"

The bunny was not taking that surrendering stuff for an answer, however. As she fumbled with the snowball in her paw, she looked up at Nick. "Not gonna happen. Did I ever tell you I was a champion of snowball fights? "

"Ah, so it's a snowball fight you want now? Well, in that case…"

Nick tried his darnedest to stealthily paw for a bit of snow. But before he could even attempt to do anything with it, he was once again hit straight on by another frosty blitz from Judy. Both fox and rabbit started to run around the snow-covered grounds, getting a little bit further from where most of the festivities were.

As they tried to duck and dodge each other's oncoming snowballs, both of them found themselves stuck in a spree of joyous and almost childlike laughter. Their smiles growing wider as the snowflakes delicately fell throughout the town.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Hey everyone! I've been on a big writing kick lately with tons of interesting stories popping into my head. So I thought the perfect way to get some of them out was to do them in the form of one-shots. And that's where this started! Here you'll find some short stories with our favorite fox and bunny taking the spotlight! :)**

 **Hope you enjoyed this silly little story of mine, and look forward to see what y'all think of some other ideas I've got in store. As always, let me know what you guys think. Your feedback, good and bad, is gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time! :)**


	2. Rainy Day

The pouring rain continued to hit against the windows of Nick's apartment, showing no signs of letting up any time soon. Within a few short moments, the weather had went from almost picture-perfect to completely muggy. The gray clouds sprawled across the area, billowing in and taking away most of the color and sunshine that filled the sky a little bit ago.

The downpour let off some, but the weather outside was still in no condition for what Nick originally had planned. Watching a few of the raindrops slowly slide down the glass of the window, the fox let out a despondent sigh.

Despite the already organized itinerary of the day being practically ruined, his companion still seemed to be in good spirits. Judy simply sat on Nick's living room couch, a smile written upon her muzzle and her paws barely touching the tiles of the floor. Nick's television was playing the news, but the rabbit paid no attention towards the screen.

Instead, she happily watched the rain as it continuously fell down, as if it didn't really affect anything. Nick wasn't exactly sure why she still was optimistic despite the rain-out, considering that the two of them planned on doing some fun outdoor activities together whenever they had the chance.

The fox sighed another time. "That rain came outta nowhere, Carrots. Forecast wasn't even calling for a storm like this. Sorry."

Judy turned around. "It's okay, Nick. It's not like you can control the rain."

Nick grinned as he performed another one of his humorous shenanigans. Judy couldn't help but snicker as her fox companion broke out into a ridiculously terrible dance.

"What was _that_ , Slick?" she said, still giggling.

"Seriously?" Nick replied. "You never heard of a rain dance, Fluff? Maybe if I do it long enough, the rain'll let up some."

"Pretty sure that rain dances _bring_ rain, Nick." she replied informatively.

Nick looked back at her, completely proven wrong. "Oh. If that's the case, I'll just have to do it backwards."

The fox continued performing his laughable dance routine, this time doing it in reverse. Judy simply looked back at how silly he looked, chortling and shaking her head. _Once a kit, always a kit,_ she thought.

A faint clap of thunder could be heard, sounding as if it was further out in the distance. "See, Slick?" Judy replied slyly. "The rain don't agree with your dancing."

"Well, that goes to show you that the rain don't have good tastes," Nick remarked, walking over to the living room. "I'll have you know that I am an _expert_ dancer fox."

Judy snickered as she gestured for Nick to take his load off beside her. "Whatever you say, Dancer Fox. Come on and take a seat."

The fox did as Judy said, sitting down right beside his companion. The news playing on the television switched over to the hourly forecast, only to restate what was completely obvious. Judy's iPaw vibrated, a notification from one of her weather apps indicating that lightning was near their location (less than 0.2 miles, to be exact). Nick saw the alert on her phone as well, nodding as he saw how much closer the abrupt weather had gotten.

"Did I ever mention how much I hate the rain, Carrots?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, you made that _pretty_ clear, Slick," Judy replied.

The streak coming from a bolt of white lightning broke through the view of the window, followed the sound of a loud and sudden boom that reverberated around them. Judy jumped and let out a frightened gasp at the unanticipated close clap of thunder.

The bunny's ears drooped down from the loud noise, and with that Nick tried to provide some comfort to his partner. As Judy moved closer to him, the fox wrapped his arms around her. It was a provision of all the comfort she needed.

Judy laughed with contentment and leaned beside Nick. Her gaze went back out to the pitter-pattering rain drops hitting the windows a few seconds later. Sure, Nick was upset at how the sudden change of weather came through and disrupted his plans. But Judy, on the other paw, liked to look at things with a different perspective. Whether it was rain or shine, it didn't matter how she spent the afternoon as long as Nick was beside her.


	3. Family Dinner

The majority of the family gathered around the large table. As everyone got themselves situated in their seats, Judy took her load off in a chair that was right in the middle of the table, an occupied seat waiting beside her. A series of aromas filled the room, the source of them being the plethora of various dishes that were scattered abroad. Judy inhaled the fresh and pleasing scents as her mother walked by, carefully carrying a tray that contained one of the delectable dishes that they would be enjoying.

The rabbit looked around at her family, encircled humbly around the dining room table. Her parents happily taking their seats after finishing up the preparations, the youngest of her multitudinous siblings squirming and shifting in their chairs trying to get comfortable.

"Gosh, I almost forgot about how great this cooking was," Judy thought out loud. "This alone was worth the travel."

"Well, don't you worry," Bonnie replied. "There's plenty more where this came from."

"Yeah, pretty sure Nick is going to love this too." As the words slipped out of her mouth, she got curious as to where her fox happened to run off to. She hadn't seen him since some of her youngest siblings took complete control of him, dragging him away to another room for what had been a great amount of time. "Speaking of, where did he-"

 _Thud!_

Her inquiry was cut short, the sounds of commotion from behind her provided the obvious answer she needed. She could hear her fox clumsily bumping into a nearby table, nearly knocking over some well-placed decorations that were laying idly upon it.

"Ouch!" the misfortunate vulpine exclaimed upon hitting the table.

The joyous squeals of delight coming from some of her youngest siblings (who, from the sounds of it, were undoubtedly giving Nick a bit of a hard time).

"Okay, off you go," he compelled.

The little bunny, who was originally clinging onto Nick's fluffy russet tail, grabbed hold of Nick's paw and dragged him swiftly to his designated seat (which luckily was positioned right next to Judy). Bonnie chuckled as she continued to get the rest of everyone's food in order, Judy sat there shaking her head at Nick, setting down the plate of food she just got filled up.

"Geez," the fox whispered to his companion, clutching onto his tail as if he was providing it some sense of security. "My tail is killin' me from those little guys."

Judy grinned. "Pretty sure you and your tail will live, Slick," she replied.

Nick glanced at the empty white plate in front of him, then over to a piece of paper folded up like a greeting card appeared to be right by his napkin. He hadn't noticed it until now, and decided to see what it said on the inside of it. Getting a glimpse of the card, he revealed a simplistic doodled depiction of himself, the words "Special Guest" scribbled sloppily below it.

The fox looked up at Bonnie, who just took her seat back down and started to take a bite of food. He then turned his attention to where some of Judy's siblings were seated. The young bunny that was a few chairs away from view smiled upon Nick opening up the paper card, waving a paw excitedly to him.

"W-what's this?" Nick managed to say.

"Oh, just something the little ones made," Bonnie said. "They told me that they wanted their 'Uncle Nick' to have a special seat at the table."

"Heck," Stu chimed in, "you should've heard how much they were talking about you."

Some of the young rabbits seated around nodded their heads in agreement, and Nick felt an unexplainable sensation rushing within him. Nick could completely sense the welcoming sincerity that filled every bunny in the room.

"Thank you," he managed to say. "Just thank you."

The fox grinned widely, and with that the "Special Guest" started to joyfully help himself in digging into the wonderful array of farm-grown food.

* * *

 **Author's Note: This is the first story for me to write that featured more characters than just Nick and Judy.** **This was how I pictured a family dinner, whether that be during the holidays or just whenever Nick would visit Bunnyburrow for some sort of occasion, at the Hopps Family Farm would be. In my opinion, I really enjoy the concept of a supportive and welcoming Bonnie and Stu. And that was the image I was trying to go for here. :)**

 **Hope I did a decent job at creating the scenery here, and hopefully this one put a smile on your face. As always, let me know your thoughts.**

 **'Til next time! :D**


	4. City Sights

The remainder of what at one point was the daylight disappeared. The flickers of the bright and exquisite colors of sunset had completely dissipated over the mammalian metropolis, letting the absolute darkness of the nighttime come in to play. The evenings that belonged to the weekend promised both fun and extravagant experiences for the many mammals that inhabited the bustling city.

Joyous expressions could be seen on most of the faces one saw while walking around the humble place they called Zootopia, and the lights that illuminated the district gave the whole scene a much-adored sense of vibrancy. A sudden chill in temperature filled the air and struck the city as the seasons readied themselves for yet another change. Most mammals in the city could be spotted dressed from head to paw in attire that complimented the colder time of year.

Bundled up snuggly in one of his light coats, Nick made his way up towards the rooftop where he knew his partner would be. Just like he assumed, his leporine companion sat cross-legged on an outdoor mat, staying silent as she looked around with admiration at the city surrounding her. It was times like these that she could be found in this very pleasant spot.

"Thought I might find ya out here, Carrots," the fox breathed.

Judy turned around smiling at the sound of Nick's voice, patting a paw down on the mat as an invitation to come over and sit next to her. Joining his rabbit, the vulpine sat down on the mat and positioned himself close to his companion. Nick let out a sigh, noticing that he could see his breath in the cold weather. As the thick cloud of his breath quickly dissipated, he positioned his paws behind him so he could recline slightly and survey the nighttime scenery.

Completely relaxed, both Nick and Judy looked at what spectacular views surrounded them. The city, although beautiful enough from a ground view, was a sight to behold when examined from the quaint spot on the rooftop. The two of them looked around at the city they swore they would protect, and it seemed as if it was staring back at them merrily.

The tall skyscrapers stretched on and on, the glow coming from the windows and billboards sparkling like Christmas lights. The sounds of music could be detected from a building not that far away, blending with the extra tunes that resonated from some of the traffic that made their way up and down the busy streets. The humble citizens, strolling peacefully around the city, looked so much smaller from the height in which they were looking from.

Everything around them seemed so perfect. The two of them could spend a lifetime observing what encompassed them and it would never get old.

"Can't beat the view," Nick said after a moment of silence.

Leaning forward, Judy looked over at Nick and summed up the surroundings in the simplest way possible. "It's priceless."


	5. The Great Outdoors

A few mile's drive outside of the more-populated spots in Bunnyburrow, the weather was cold but pleasant for any mammal wishing to take a brisk hike along one of the forest paths the area had to offer.

On one nature preserve in particular, a hiking enthusiast wanting to surround themselves with winter views couldn't ask for better conditions. The path had been touched with the recently fallen snow, not too heavy but a considerable amount to be sprinkled around the area. Along both sides of the beaten walking trails were tall trees, the few pines starting to lose some of their needles. High above it all, the firmament illuminated in an exquisite cerulean color.

It was another wonderful day outside, practically the recipe for pure serenity. But for two certain mammals taking a hike on this trail, however, conditions seemed to be the exact opposite of serenity…

* * *

"Are we getting to our stop yet?"

"No, Nick! It was a 'no' the last time you asked."

"C'mon, you sure?"

"Yes, we still got a little bit left to go."

"You said that about an hour ago."

"Maybe if you'd quit dragging behind, we'd probably get there faster."

"My paws are killin' me!"

"Nick, it's probably be a good time to be quiet for a little while."

"But you won't have anyone to talk with."

"Nick!"

That had been only a small example of some of the previously exchanged words that came from the fox and rabbit.

Nick looked at the path that stretched out before him, Judy trekking quite a few paces ahead of him. A backpack slightly larger than her figure strapped firmly around her. Although Nick had been ridiculously nagging and making the hike out to be an extremely lengthy and outstretched one, the rabbit hadn't been tired out at all.

The fox had been dragging along these latest few portions of the hike, feeling a tad miserable from all of the walking he had been unprepared for. Tugging on the sides of his own backpack, the vulpine tried to increase his walking speed in an effort to keep up with his companion.

"I'm hopin' where you're taking us is somewhere wonderful, Carrots," Nick stated, exhaling the cold winter air that had been entering his lungs. "This hiking stuff this is just not for me."

"Yeah, I can see that," Judy remarked. "Could be worse though, you could be at that preserve we took back in-"

Nick held up a refraining paw as he continued to stroll forward. "Please don't mention that place, Fluff. I vowed that we were never heading back there after what happened the first time I went there with you. I swear that was one of the worst outdoor experiences I've had in a long time."

Judy chuckled upon remembering what he was pertaining to. "You brought that on yourself, Slick. I told you specifically to stay clear of any plants with three leaves on it."

"Yeah," Nick breathed, "consider that message received."

A moment of silence filled the air, and Judy turned around to get a quick look at her fox. "You gotta admit though, the views are something to take in."

"They are something to see, Fluff. But it'd probably be more enjoyable once we find a nice place to just sit down and look around."

Judy, before replying, caught sight of what she was taking the two of them two. "Lucky for you, our stop is coming up. We can take a short break and have a bite when we get there."

"Hallelujah," Nick muttered.

Judy shook her head at Nick's overdramatic bellyaching. _Yep, Nick's a city mammal by heart_ , she told herself.

* * *

Nick and Judy placed there backpacks down and crouched down to have a seat for a few brief moments. As Judy unzipped the one compartment of her backpack to grab some food for the two of them, she could hear her fox letting out a slight but audible sigh of relief.

"This is more like it," Nick remarked, reclining back on the ground and getting himself comfortable.

She shook her head at the Nick, retrieving one of the snack bags she had packed specifically for him. "Here you go," she said, handing him the bag. "Packed you one of your favorites. It'll make you feel a little better."

Nick's eyes lit up at those words, making him appear like a kit in a candy store. Could it be?

The fox's russet tail wagged in delight upon catching sight of one of his favorite fruits within his bag of trail mix: Blueberries. Judy watched as Nick started popping the berries from the mix into his mouth, an almost euphoric expression written across the vulpine's muzzle.

The rabbit took a couple quick bites from some of her food that she had packed, proceeding to lay back and look up at the happy clouds that filled the clear skies. Nick copied soon after and laid back as well, stretching out and placing his paws behind his head. Along with the happy clouds that filled the firmament above, Nick also took sight of trees that stretched upward from where was laying down.

The fox took a deep breath out, completely relaxed as he saw Judy point a paw up at a particular cloud that was wandering in their view.

"Ooooh," the doe said. "You see what that cloud over there looks like?"

The fox's squinted his eyes and tried to focus, all he saw was a simple formation floating in the sky and yet his companion somehow made out pictures out of them. "All I see's a cloud, Carrots," he said bluntly.

Judy snickered. "How imaginative."

The conversation paused for a few brief moments, the two of them looked into each other's eyes and then back up at the sky.

Nick got up and dusted himself off. "Alright," he said, "I'm gonna get everything set up."

* * *

 **A Few Moments Later...**

Judy couldn't wait to enjoy the rest of the outdoor activities she had on her list. That is, if her fox could possibly get some of their camping supplies set up before nighttime rolled around.

Despite having a vision of joining the Ranger Scouts as a kit, it appeared that some of Nick's outdoor survival skills weren't as good as wished they were. And Judy was witnessing it firsthand. The doe turned around to get a quick look at Nick, who stood there murmuring as he struggled with the simple assembly of their outdoor equipment.

"Need some help over there, Nick?" the doe inquired.

"No," he breathed, "it's all good."

"You look like you could use some help."

"Who's the Scout here?"

"Okay, Scout, well are you aware of the spider?"

"Har har. Nice try, Fluff."

"No, for real this time."

"Carrots, I know I fell for that one in the past but it ain't gonna work. I'm-"

"Nick, for real. I'm not joking right now."

Nick sensed it in the doe's eyes; she wasn't joking around with him like she had on several different occasions. The vulpine's eyes widened at the concept of his fear being present. Turning his head slowly to his left shoulders, his eyes met the arachnid that dangled from the thin string of cobweb from a nearby tree.

The second his brain registered seeing it, he immediately jumped and let out a yelp. His tail flickered and his ears drooped downward. _Why do I have to be so fearful of spiders?_ he thought.

Though it was quite evident prior to the current moment, Judy made her observation: _Camping is_ definitely _not Nick's thing._

* * *

 **Author's Note: T** **hought I write something that was little bit longer that my previous stories. Figured this would be something interesting to write about this time around with our favorite duo. I could possibly write out a continuation of this concept in the future. Maybe, maybe not. But I tried to write it out so it could possibly stand out on its own.**

 **Anywho, let me know what you thought.** **Your feedback, good and bad, is gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time! :)**


	6. Staring At The Stars

Crawling out of the unzipped entrance of the tent, Nick stepped outside into the cold air of the peaceful night. As the wind struck against the vulpine's fur, he looked around for where his leporine accompaniment was. The entryway to their compact tent was opened, but it was a slim possibility that she went anywhere that was too far away from their established campsite.

Passing the small section in the ground that served as their campfire (the flame had been extinguished quite some time ago), the fox found the doe laying on her back as she looked up at the sky. Judy cocked her head over as she saw Nick walk by, a smile creeping cheerfully over her muzzle.

The day had been an eventful one for the two of them, and basically everything on Judy's itinerary for their camping excursion had been happily completed. However, what was presumably going to be one of the best parts of their day of fun was yet to come. Prior to nightfall, Judy informed Nick that there would be a good chance that they would be able to see some of the upcoming meteor shower she read about online. Putting the overall outdoor conditions into consideration, it was without doubt going to be an enjoyable experience for both of them.

Nick ran back to retrieve his sleeping bag and set only a few inches away from where Judy's was on the ground. Now completely cozy, the fox brought his attention solely towards the vast number of stars scattered around the sky. After an undoubtedly fun day, this would most definitely be the way to conclude things before they both got some rest back in the tent.

Judy delicately giggled, turning her head to meet her partner's gaze. She went to start talking to him, but the sudden sound of rustling bushes reverberated on the opposite side of them. The abrupt noise caused Nick to unexpectedly jolt and make his companion wonder why he was so startled. The vulpine's ears perked up and his tail stood on end, partially anticipating something frightful to jump out at them from the corner.

"Calm down," Judy said, comfortingly placing a gentle paw on his shoulder.

The fox deeply exhaled. "Sorry, just caught me off guard. After all, deep woods in the middle of the night is basically where every horror movie takes place."

"And what would _you_ know about surviving horror movies, Nick? You're always hiding your eyes behind my ears when things get scary, and don't try to deny that either."

"I know, but just think about it for a quick minute. We're camping, it's the dark of night and there's sounds comin' from the other side. Pretty sure that's when the mammal with the hockey mask on jumps out and scares you."

"You're being ridiculous, Slick. Even if there _was_ some crazed mammal back there, you've got me to protect you."

"Yeah, you're right. Besides, my night vision would've spotted someone anyway."

"Not sure if that night vision's a saving grace. Even with it, you still run into stuff at night all the time."

"Good point, Carrots."

Judy laughed then grabbed her iPaw out of her coat pocket. She quickly got a glance at what time it was before turning her head over to Nick. "Alright," she said delicately, "this is right around when they said the meteor shower's gonna happen."

Nick simply nodded his head, turned his head over to his side, and piqued his attention back up at the sky. "The sky," he murmured, "it's so beautiful."

"I agree," Judy replied. "reminds me of when I was younger. Back then the nighttime sky always-"

Something zipped by within the sky, interrupting the rabbit and catching her attention. Almost in sync, they dotted their eyes to look up at the shooting star that was speeding passed them in the atmosphere.

"Make a wish, Carrots," Nick said.

Judy simply giggled and paused for a short moment. "Alright, I made a wish."

"And what was that?"

The doe shook her head at her companion's eager question. "You know you're not supposed to say what you wished for, 'cause then it won't come true."

"You can't?"

"Yeah, that's shooting star physics."

"Well, that's something I didn't know until now."

Judy simply laughed and stretched her neck for a quick moment. "You know," she continued, "that reminds me of another time I made a wish. One that gave me a lot more than I bargained for." She paused a short moment. "You don't mind if I tell you about that, do you?"

"Go right ahead, Fluff,"

"Okay," she began, "I was around nine years old, and I was walking back home when it happened."

Nick listened attentively, and Judy proceeded to tell him the tale that made her reminisce about a happy yet considerably pivotal moment of her childhood…

* * *

 _Judy found herself looking up at the nighttime sky. The sun had set over the Hopps family farm a few moments ago, and the young bunny was making her trek back home. As she casually strolled along the acreage of crops they were growing, she found her pace gradually slowing down._

 _Her attention peaked upward, becoming fully focused upon the stars that lit up the sky like miniature diamonds. As she continued to gaze at the luminous sky, Judy's eyes lit up and her mouth opened in awe. The stars were always pretty to see, but that night seemed different. Whether it was all in her head or not, the sky just seemed to be a lot brighter than it normally was._

 _She studied the firmament above her, finally placing her attention upon a scintillating star that was right in the middle of the sky. As she continued to gaze up at it, she placed the thought of the wish inside of her head. Deep in her heart, Judy knew that she wanted to eventually grow up and make the world a better place._

 _Despite how distant the goal seemed, and whatever the bullying Gideon Gray had to say, she knew on the inside that anything was possible. Focusing harder and harder on that ambition, she closed her eyes and brought herself to silently mouthing it out loud._

 _"I wish to make the world a better place..."_

 _Opening her eyes once again, she progressed onward to make her way back home before it got any later. As she got closer and closer towards home, it seemed as if that specific star was starting to glow a little bit brighter than it just was. Even it was just her overactive imagination, it felt like it was saying that it heard her wish and that it would eventually be granted._

* * *

"Sure, I know it was the dedication that got me where I am. But I think a little bit of it had to do with wishing on that star. After all, I never would've expected a partner like you to come so naturally."

Nick gently clapped his round of applause. "That was a wonderful story, Carrots," he said.

"Glad you think so," she replied. "After all, true stories are the best stories."

Nick smirked at the wisdom of his bunny. "Well, aren't _you_ the philosopher, Fluff?"

After the witty remark, the two of them stayed silent for quite some time. Paws intertwined, the fox and rabbit both continued to merrily look up at the beautiful stars. The specks of light illuminated the darkness, and every now and then one or two shooting stars could be spotted. Occasionally the cold breeze would sway around them, the small finishing touch to the almost picturesque nature scene that the two of them currently occupied.

For Nick, it was quite obvious that camping and had its ups and downs. But despite the disadvantages of seemingly treacherous hiking trails and out-of-control mosquitos, the fox came to the conclusion that being out in nature like they currently were was not as terrible as he originally thought. And it was moments like these that truly proved that; he could literally spend a lifetime just gazing up at the stars with his bunny by his side.

A smile started to take form upon his muzzle, seeming as if it were unbreakable at this point in time. _You know,_ he mentally observed to himself, _maybe the whole camping thing is not so bad after all._

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey there! First off, want to give a quick "thank you" to everyone who's been giving my stories a read. Glad to know some of y'all are enjoying these silly little stories of mine! :)**

 **Anyhow, this story is actually a slight continuation of my previous story, which also involved Nick and Judy on a little camping expedition. So I came up with the idea here that could possibly have connection and thought I'd just write it out.**

 **This was also to test how well I could do dialogue back and forth (which happens to be something I still need to practice in my writing abilities), so let me know if I did a fair job at that.** **Your feedback, good and bad, is gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time! :)**


	7. Baking Disaster

Standing inside of the kitchen with determination, Nick confidently got to work on his surprise plan for when Judy came by. And that plan, interestingly enough, was freshly-baked dessert.

The fox, as Judy had witnessed on several misfortunate occasions, was not exactly the best when it came to baking stuff from scratch . But Nick had a plan to surprise his rabbit with some sweet treats to get them both in an even more positive mood. He had found a potentially easy recipe online while searching for some interesting desserts, and he was currently more than content to try it out based on how others on there (who specifically stated in their reviews how they were novices when it came to cooking) said how simplistic it was. _If they can do it, I can do it_ , Nick persuaded to himself.

Nick grabbed an apron from where it had been sitting and tied it around him, the corny phrase "Kiss The Cook" embroidered on it with a heart underneath it. Now ready to begin the process of preparation, the vulpine grabbed a bowl and got to work with his ingredients. Some measuring and mixing later, a beep came from the oven behind him.

The process of it pre-heating the oven finished just in time for the sweet treats to start baking. Looking at the "masterpiece" that he had whipped up, Nick grabbed his oven mitt and placed the two baking trays straight into the oven.

The kitchen had been flipped into something that was quite the opposite of its typical cleanliness. Spilled flour dusted abroad the workspace. Some of the batter that accidentally came out of its mixing bowl laid on the counters as well.

Nick wiped his brow and clapped his paws together, breathing out a sigh of relief. _And now all we gotta do is wait for this to get done baking!_

* * *

The fox plopped down on the nearby couch, the apron still resting over his torso. He relaxed as he waited for Judy to arrive, the stove and the kitchen being left completely unattended. About ten minutes later, a sudden knock sounded upon Nick's door. Picking himself off of the couch, the fox answered the door and Judy stepped inside. The scent of something delicious came from the nearby kitchen, but the doe couldn't put her paw on what it was exactly.

For a few short seconds, the doe didn't even acknowledge that her fox was cloaked in the ridiculous apron. But when she did, however, she ended up uncontrollably snickering at the sight of it.

The fox turned around, looking at her quizzically. "What's so funny, Carrots?" he inquired. "Never seen a fox in an apron before?"

"I have," she said. "But normally whenever you wear an apron like that, it normally spells out grave danger."

"I acknowledge my past mistakes, Fluff," the fox replied. "But hopefully what I'm makin' right now ends up being something that's not a disaster."

The doe's curiosity was piqued as she followed Nick. "And what would that be?"

"It was gonna be a surprise, but since you asked I'll let you in on it. I'm workin' on a nice dessert recipe that I stumbled across today. You came over right at a good time, too. If I'm right, everything should probably be done in a little bit."

"I _thought_ I smelled something sweet when I walked in here," Judy remarked. "Sounds wonderful." She paused a short moment. "That is, if the recipe works out like it should."

"I did all the right steps. I know you've seen my other cooking mishaps, but I'm quite certain that this'll surprise you."

"All the measurements are correct this time?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure of that."

"Okay, 'cause you do remember the time we tried making that other dessert not too long ago. You screwed up the whole thing all because you misread the one-"

The fox heavily sighed, interrupting Judy's reminder. "Yes, I remember that, Carrots. Can't live down one little slip, can I?"

"Nope."

Nick laughed in response. "Anyway, I better change the subject. Come on and take a seat in the living room."

* * *

A few moments had passed when a shift in events occurred, bringing Nick back to his senses. As Judy continued her conversation with Nick, an unpleasant smell arose from the kitchen and hit her nose like a load of bricks.

"Uh, Nick?" the doe questioned. "Is something burning?"

Nick turned his head towards Judy, looking at her confused. "What do you mean bur-"

The fox's eyes widened with shock as the sudden realization hit him. He had been so distracted that he had completely forgotten about what he had been baking.


	8. Mammal Combat

_As he slowly crept his way out the darkness and into the moonlight, the fox cloaked in matching russet uniform huffed egotistically as he caught a glimpse of who he would be fighting._ _On the opposite side of the platform he stood upon was his opponent, a gray doe clothed in amethyst attire who seemed as equally determined upon meeting who she would be fighting against._

 _The one-on-one fight between the two ever-so-bitter rivals commenced. The fox broke out into a run, and attempted to swing a swift punch near the doe. However, before the jab could even brush the fur of his opponent, the doe seemed to dissipate before completely disappearing from view._

 _The doe suddenly reappeared, become visible to the fox once again._ _The vulpine grunted and tried to send a high kick towards the rabbit, of which she managed to stealthily dodge by crouching down before it could even come near her. As she swiftly got up from her crouched position, she delivered a powerful uppercut, which sent her opponent falling down to the ground in a clumsy fashion._

 _Trying hard to ignore the pain that was now currently coursing through his back, the vulpine managed to get himself off of the cold ground and back up on his paws. After having been unexpectedly uppercutted by the rival standing in front of him, he had to make sure he didn't have to undergo defeat._

 _Slightly trembling, the fox heard the very unpleasant sound of the rabbit guffawing at how she was currently winning the brawl._

 _The vulpine rushed up towards the doe. He prepared to jab the opponent with his left paw, but instead he ended being the one jabbed as the prepared bunny blocked him and sent a punch towards his right shoulder. The unfortunate fox was running out of any ways to stealthily approach the doe, and he was beginning to lose his overall strength and stability from all of the jabs and kicks that he had endured._

 _He managed a quick strike from his other paw, but it barely clipped the rabbit._ _The fox backed up a few paces, but the doe soon enough sprinted towards him. A swift series of jabs was then delivered towards the vulpine, his adversary throwing them with much precision. At last, the fox was starting feel the sensation of defeat._

 _The rabbit grinned as she came closer towards him. "I guess it's time to finish this," she murmured._

 _With a large and powerful uppercut, the fox was sent tumbling downward from the frighteningly tall platform. He shouted as he rapidly fell to the very bottom of the pit, the noise echoing within the night. Being the considerably declared winner of the match, the doe stood proudly within the moonlight that shone above her…_

* * *

The sounds of a terrifying shout came from the television, followed by a loud thump sound. The rabbit character on the screen stood within the middle of the stage and took a proud bow. With that, Nick dropped his controller and rested his head back. Judy, who sat cross-legged only a few inches away from him, childishly pumped a fist in the air with a gleeful smile across her muzzle.

"Woot woot!" she proclaimed jovially.

Nick looked as if he were in complete denial. He thought for sure that he was going to be able to beat his bunny at a simple round of the fighting game they had selected, but it looked like he was proven wrong yet another time. Judy seemed to play this particular game as if she had been mastering it for years.

"But I don't understand," the fox said, "what the heck was that last thing you pulled on me?"

"It's called a final move, sweetheart," Judy mocked.

The fox shook his head, a grin forming on his muzzle as well. "Yeah, I know that, but how on earth did you do that? And what about that thing you did where you went invisible or something? I've been playing Mammal Kombat for as long as I can remember, and _I_ don't even know how to do that."

"An expert never reveals her secrets."

"Alright, Carrots, but that was just the warm-up."

"Sure it was," the bunny chuckled.

"Two out of three?" Nick inquired.

The determined doe gripped her paws onto the controller and reclined back. With the simple press of a button, the game was restarted and the competition between the two characters on the screen continued.


	9. Roller Coaster

"You know, Carrots, maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"Come on, Scaredy Pants, this is gonna be fun."

"Define 'fun.'"

"Well, it's kinda too late now to get off, don't ya think?"

"Yeah…"

As Nick sighed, he continued to mentally reevaluate how he had gotten himself to the position he was currently in. When free time came about once again for both him and Judy, they made the decision to finally go ahead and check out the new amusement park that had opened up not too long ago. It had been a wonderful place to be in for the two of them, consisting of a lot of fun activities that the facility had to offer its visitors.

However, the ride that Nick had been dragged onto by his companion wasn't exactly the choice he would've made. They had an enjoyable playing some of the games set up and going on some of the seemingly tamer rides in the area, but the doe insisted that they both go on what was perhaps the largest coaster in the entire amusement park. There was barely anyone in line at the time she suggested riding it (the signs outside of the entrance stating that the wait time was approximately fifteen minutes), so she simply dragged Nick along to secure their spots.

Nick gripped his paws harder onto the sides of the harness securely latched over him, the clicking sounds of the coaster's ascension not making the situation any better. The cart climbed steadier and steadier, and within a few brief moments everything started to look tiny from the height in which they were now positioned. The coaster made a slow but swift right turn after it was carried to the peak of its height, letting Nick get a quick glimpse at just about every viewable square inch of the park, as well as some area away from it.

At the top of the hill, right near the first and very steep drop, the cart brought itself into a holding brake. The coaster seemed to be in a brief pause.

 _Don't look down_ , Nick thought. However, the vulpine didn't listen what his thoughts were issuing to him. As the fox sneaked a look downward, he heard a quick sound and the cart started to speedily descend. At the current moment, Nick felt weightless in his seat despite being strapped in by the harness around his body.

The sudden sensation of the rushing wind hit Nick's fur as the coaster flew downward and quickly over to a tall loop. The sounds of delighted yelps came from the other mammals that were positioned behind them. Nick's eyes dotted towards Judy, who had her paws up in the air as she laughed with glee. _How is this enjoyable?_ he asked himself.

The coaster steadily continued onward, making a banked, upward turn before ascending up another hill. The ascension was milder than the first one, but still pretty tall for Nick's tastes. The drop came quickly as they picked up speed again.

 _Click!_

An abrupt flash came from the left corner, coming from the cameras that took the pictures of the mammals on the coaster.

A sharp turn later, the ride completed its course and came back at the station they originally started in. Once it came to a complete stop, other mammals started to lift their harnesses up and start to exit as they made their way elsewhere.

Nick, his heart beating fast from the adrenaline rush he had just experienced, looked over at Judy. The doe hopped out from her seat and onto the platform that lead to the exit, a happy and ebullient smile radiating off of her muzzle as she gestured for Nick to follow her lead. The vulpine got out of where he was seated and joined his companion, his legs feeling like jelly as he stood up.

* * *

The fox and rabbit both walked out of where they had just exited. An establishment selling the amusement park's merchandise was in full swing, a line that consisted of a small group of mammals waiting patiently to get their purchases.

"I dunno, Slick," Judy said, "you were lookin' like you were pretty scared on that thing."

"It wasn't _that_ bad, Carrots," Nick replied, completely in denial of his previous reaction.

"Then you wouldn't mind me asking you to go on it with me a second time, would you?"

"Yeah, I'm probably gonna have to pass on that offer, Fluff."

The doe giggled and shook her head as they got closer towards the small shop. "Of course."

As they walked away, Nick glared over at some small screens at the establishment were pictures that had been taken of those previously on the coaster, a corresponding number underneath each of them. The screen showed the two of them on the ride, with him donning a look that had a fair amount of fright to it. Seeing it for himself, all Nick could do was laugh under his breath at the look that was on his muzzle in the photograph.

"Now then, where shall we go next?"

"How about the ferris wheel?"

The idea of the relaxing ride in mind, the fox replied, "Right behind you, Fluff."

With that, the two strolled along and joined the crowds of visitors walking to and fro.


	10. This is Home

"Home" always seemed to be an ambiguous term, a word that was open to more than one meaning or interpretation. For the longest time, Judy's mind went back to the quaint life that she lived back in Bunnyburrow whenever the word was brought up.

Upon further remembrance, she would often visualize the extremely spacious interior that made up her childhood home. Placed upon most of the walls and hallways were the adored pictures of family and friends that she held very close to her. The windows more than often provided picturesque views for her family, and the exquisite farmland that surrounded their property seemed to stretch on forever.

Whenever she would come home from school, she would more than often be greeted with the faint sounds of music coming from the small radio that was in the kitchen. The aroma of freshly baked goods additionally filled her atmosphere on occasion, and sometimes one or two of her younger siblings could be spotted running across the halls.

Periodically, when the evening got closer and all of the hard work around the acreage was complete, Judy's two close friends, Sharla and Gareth, would pay their visit to the Hopps Family Farm. When they were little, the three of them could be seen either running in friendly races or playing within the imaginary world that Sharla conjured up.

The house that she grew up in, as well as what area surrounded it, was practically perfection. It was what Judy considered to be the definition of home for the longest time. But there was a moment in which she concluded that there was more to the term "home" than just a house or a place that you were born and raised in.

* * *

The slight realization came to her when she was spending a Sunday evening over at Nick's apartment. Both of them were relaxed on the couch, Nick's long arms lovingly wrapped around his companion's shoulder.

As Judy put on a bright smile, she cocked her head a little bit to the left to look out at the view that Nick's window provided. From the look of the sky, Judy could tell that it was getting close to sunset. The sun casted its golden rays down upon the metropolis. The yellow ball of light and fire illuminated the sky that was decked with a tangerine hue as it started to set into the distance.

Despite her hometown in Bunnyburrow being many miles away, she came to the conclusion in her soul that she was right where she belonged. Home, as she came to realize, was where you were surrounded by someone who had your back even in the darkest of times. It was where adventurous memories and inseparable companions were made.

As the two of them gazed into the beautiful colors of sunset, Nick cocked his head and gave Judy a delicate kiss at the top of her head. Judy let out a faint laugh as she nestled herself more comfortably by the vulpine that was seated beside her.

 _This is home_ , she thought.


	11. Train Ride to Bunnyburrow

With the last few passengers finally acquiring their selected seats, the doors from behind automatically shut. The Zootopia Express started to slowly pull out of the Savannah Central Station. The first few moments always seemed to go slow when traveling in this matter, but within a short time frame the train gradually picked up speed and steadied its course. The sun in the sky was just starting to set over the metropolis. What not too long ago was a bright palette of blues became a delicate mixture of red and orange hues. It was likely that the passengers would make it to where they needed to be when the blackness of nighttime rolled around.

Nick and Judy sat relaxed in the seat they had selected, gazing directly out of a convenient window that they were lucky to be sitting by. The fox and rabbit looked out as the recognizable skyscrapers and buildings got further and further away from view, until they became just small shapes that were only visible from afar. As the breathtaking cityscapes dissipated in the distance, only the sky could be seen by those who were observing.

Nick gazed out of the window for quite some time, then turning his head around to look over at Judy. At the current moment, the doe seemed to be fully invested in the book that she had packed within her bag to bring on the trip. Her eyes seemed to widen as her paws gripped onto the book, and her face gave off a look of surprise from what she was reading.

Silently sagging his head down, Nick glimpsed at his paws that were barely touching the cold flooring of the train car. Cocking his head upward, he glimpsed at some of the other passengers that surrounded them. A deer couple holding hooves was seated some seats away. An ocelot who had his neck slouched down, tapping away at the small computer he had resting on his lap. A brown bear who sat with his paws crossed as he humbly read a copy of the newspaper. A portly lion shifting in his seat, looking down at the small screen of his iPaw.

Faster than he thought, Nick observed that the train was now completely out of the city and was about to enter the Tri-Burrows real soon.

He also observed that the skies were undergoing their daily transformation from sunset to nighttime, too. However, he acknowledged that they were more likely to get a better view of things from the spacious observation area located in a different spot on the train. He gave a slight tap on Judy's shoulders, a wordless call to join him in observing the natural wonders of the night that were swiftly passing by. Judy gently breathed out, following his lead.

Once they arrived at what he mentally referred as the best spot on the train, they found their seats. No one was occupying the observation area at the moment, so it was presently made for a pleasent viewing experience for both the fox and rabbit.

Judy pressed a paw delicately against the glass enclosure and stared at what currently surrounded her. The nascent snow was scattered in gradual chunks upon the spacious fields, gradually illuminated by some small sources of light in the far distance. She and Nick both observed as the fields started blurring away from view, the train swayed around a bend. An assemblage of stars provided a dazzling luminescence in the firmament above, the moon also glowing in all of its glory.

Nick, who was scrolling through one of his Pawtify playlists, took out one of his earbuds and placed it inside of Judy's ear. The doe's ear reacted to the music that started to play. Resonating from the earbuds they shared was a gentle and wholesome melody, consisting of what was a perfect blend of acoustic guitar and smooth vocals. Nick and Judy both started to hum along to the tune they were listening to, paws intertwined as they continued to stare out at the views encompassing them.

As the tune ended and another one played, Nick reclined back with his arm delicately placed around his companion's shoulder. Judy started to naturally broke out into a smile, starting to envision the fun times that awaited them when they finally arrived in Bunnyburrow.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **This is what I envisioned a train ride to Bunnyburrow would be like for Nick and Judy. Hope I did a good job at crafting some of the scenery here. Also this was a way for me to test some of my writing abilities, seeing if I could try to create a decent story using little or no dialogue.**

 **As always, let me know what you guys think. Your feedback, good and bad, is gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time! :)**


	12. Caroling With The ZPD

**Author's Note: I know that it is _seriously_ late to have a story that takes place around the Christmas season. But better late than never, I guess...? I dunno! I have quite the fascination for all things that are associated with Christmas and the like, even when I know it's a _long_ time away from coming around on the calendars again. XD**

 **I typed this one out last year as an attempt at writing a sweet, holiday-themed story, and meant to share it when I wrote my other Christmas story.**

 **Even though it's February and 300+ days 'till Christmas comes around again as I write this, I still hope you enjoy this one and that it makes you smile. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Once again, the fox found himself hustled somehow. It was all thanks to a certain sly bunny and her ways of constantly tricking him.

As Judy knocked against the red door in front of them and backed up, Nick started to reminisce about how he managed to get himself stuck into the place and situation that he found himself in now…

* * *

It all started on what would've been just a typical evening. Judy was in the process of helping her companion out in getting his place decorated for the wondrous holiday season.

The entire living room was undergoing a completely festive transformation, as if the magic of the holidays somehow crawled inside and spread itself around the originally undecorated spaces. Across the floor laid a few small storage totes, containing decorations and supplies from the yesteryear's holiday celebrations. A slight mess of such items was scattered upon the ground, making the living room floor look like a construction sight from the North Pole.

Smiles abundant, Nick and Judy stood on opposite sides of the room as they both filled every possible inch with joyous decorations. The fox worked over on the left side of the living room, hanging up a few extra festive decorations. Beneath the decorations flickered the fireplace, a soft but warming flame radiating inside. On the accompanying sides of the fireplace hung Christmas cards they had received from family and friends, and above it all a beautiful wreath.

A couple minor decorations were placed out by the two of them, set on top of some free spaces. A winter-looking snow globe with a snowmammal in it was placed idly on a nearby coffee table, where a cup of tea and a cup of hot cocoa complete with marshmallows stood. Nick placed his muzzle near his mug and took a quick drink, the warmth and soothingness of the hot chocolate refreshing him as he swallowed.

On the other side of the room, the doe was putting some of the finishing touches on one of the main decorating staples of the holiday season: The tree.

A gorgeous white tree sparkled luminously against the walls. Tinsel had already been wrapped around it, and Judy was applying some of the last few snowflake ornaments on the branches as a decorative compliment. It was almost complete, except for one important detail that needed to be placed on top.

Judy grabbed a star topper decked with glittered accents out from a bin beside her, handing the decoration over to Nick. "You wanna have the honors?" she jokingly asked.

Nick placed a paw by his chest. "It would be a great pleasure, Fluff."

Judy laughed as she smiled, and Nick placed the star on the top of the tree. After a few minor adjustments to how it was decorated, the fox and rabbit both took a few steps back and looked at the room that they had just finished decorating.

After everything was complete, the two sat down on the couch as flicked on the television, putting on one of the holiday specials that they were featuring for the evening.

With as much Christmas joy that was already filling the air, it currently felt like the proper time to address her fox with what she felt like participating in. The doe always had a considerably stupendous sense of joy that rushed over her during the holidays (the time it was being her favorite time of the year), but what she was contemplating on doing was out of the question for her fox companion upon her inquiry.

Much to her dismay, it ended up being an unadulterated "no" from the fox regarding his participation in the annual act of caroling. However, Judy was not going to take it as an answer. She knew on the inside that Nick would actually enjoy himself if she took him with her.

"Come on, Nick," she said persuasively. "It'd be fun."

"You and I both know that my voice is _far_ from the singing type," Nick informed. "You've heard it yourself, Fluff. I'm pretty sure if I sung loud enough I'd end up hurting somebody's ears."

"You're bein' too hard on yourself," the doe replied. "But if you don't wanna go, I completely understand."

The vulpine looked her with a little bit of confusion, unsure of how she went from being completely adamant on his participation to understanding of why he didn't wish to go.

Regardless, however, he felt a little bad for rejecting his bunny's offer. "Sorry, Carrots. I'm promising you that I'm gonna make it up to you somehow."

"Whatever you say, Scrooge," Judy remarked, getting a chuckle out of Nick.

With that, the doe got up from her seat with a wide and conniving grin conjuring across her face. She knew what she would do next. If Nick wouldn't join the caroling excursion, then she knew that she had to hustle him into it.

* * *

Some time later, Judy proposed a bet between to the two of them before the day started at the ZPD. Knowing both Nick and her competitive attitudes all too well, the bunny was certain that the fox would immediately take the wager she had proposed. However, as if with all of her other bets that she had made with him in the past, there was a catch that he would realize at a later point in time.

"Alright, it's settled," Judy remarked, shaking paws with Nick.

The fox grinned, feeling quite certain in his head that he was about to win the bet that had already been proposed. The booming voice of Chief Bogo called all of the officers back to where he was, and Nick followed Judy inside as he pushed the wager into the back of his head for a later time.

Little did Nick know, however, that Judy intentionally designed the little proposal out perfectly to work in her favor.

Sooner than later, the fox had lost the bet and needed to pay the price for it. He would now have to go caroling with Judy and some of the ZPD officers.

Once again, the fox had unsurprisingly been hustled. Not until the moment in which Judy and the other officers started to congregate did the fox acknowledge there was something else he had to do alongside caroling...

* * *

Nick's mind came back to the present moment as he prepared himself once again.

Responding to the unexpected knocking that had been placed upon his door, the elephant who occupied the house looked humbly at who awaited him at his front porch. His wife and daughter came to the door soon after, smiles abundant to the familiar yet warming sounds of the Christmas carols.

Outside stood the familiar faces that made up the ZPD, Judy within the middle of the group like a leader.

Although some of the caroler's voices weren't exactly on key, the sounds they produced were enough to bring joy to the citizens across Zootopia. The elephant family stood close together, the little child in the bunch pointing at something that was in her interest as she innocently laughed.

What the child was pointing at was none other than Nick, who was cloaked in the outfit that he was wearing as part of him losing the bet. While the carolers were all in festive, close-to-matching attire, the fox was in an elf outfit complete with bells that jingled on his sleeves. Nick, however, didn't feel uncomfortable at all despite the getup he had been hustled into wearing by Judy.

Although he wasn't too happy about it in the beginning (his face previously had been giving off a not-so-joyous look alongside the other smiling carolers), seeing the pleasant reactions from the mammals they were singing to made him good inside.

As the carol they were singing came to a close, the voices held their note. Nick exuberantly waved his paws to get the bells to jingle on the sleeves of his outfit, a jovial expression spreading across his muzzle. The young elephant giggled and started to clap, the child's parents ended up joining in a round of applause a few seconds later.

The assembly of carolers walked off, heading down the street to go to the next available house. As they came closer to a house covered top to bottom in multi-colored lights, Judy cocked her head and saw the jocund smirk radiating on Nick's muzzle. The doe tapped at Nick's shoulder, feeling that she was right about him once again.

"So," she remarked, "did this fox's heart grow three sizes today?"

"Har har," Nick breathed, trying his darnedest to cover up the fact that he was truly enjoying himself.

The doe shook her head. "You can't fool me, Slick, I can see it in your face."

Looking back at the house they had just, they caught sight of the family they had just visited. Nick could see the kid to the two elephants waving cheerfully back at them, faintly hearing the little one saying something.

"Bye, Mister Elf!" the little elephant called from a distance. "Happy holidays!"

Judy saw the smile that Nick failed miserably to contain. "Awww," she mocked. "It would seem as if Mister Elf beside me has a fan."

The fox sighed, giving up on containing all of his enthusiasm. "Alright, Carrots, I admit it. This caroling thing is actually a lot better than I expected. The whole elf outfit thing you managed to trick me with ain't that bad, either."

"Told you, Slick."

Nick and Judy continued to walk forward to the next house and catch up with the rest of the caroling participants, their figures glowing underneath the dazzling spectacle of lights. Judy went up and knocked on the door, and Nick and the rest of the ZPD officers got ready to repeat the process again.

For once in his life, the fox was _actually_ quite happy to be the loser to one of his companion's bets.


	13. Falling Leaves

The golden leaves pirouetted their way down in the cool breeze, twirling in circles continuously as they landed softly in the flowing grass. The lush country views were painted in a sepia tone, a multitude of gold, red, and brown hues clothing the scenery. At the most, the entire picture that the changing seasons painted was considerably the utmost gorgeous pattern that only nature could bless its observers with.

Within the middle of the plenteous expanse of acreage was a gigantic tree, whose appearance gave off the impression that it had been standing and growing on the property for a presumably long period of time. The changing leaves continued to tumble off of its thick, interlocking branches.

Standing underneath the partial shade that the changing tree provided, Judy busily began raking up all of the fallen leaves and tried to get them into a neatly organized pile. After she completed the process as much as she could, the doe looked around at the exquisite sights of her hometown's atmosphere. In the distance from where she was standing, she could catch a glimpse of her parents sitting in two wooden chairs on their balcony. Judy saw her mother wave to her with a smile from where she was seated, to which she simply waved back.

A single leaf pivoted downward and landed straight down where Judy was standing, causing her to flinch at it slightly once it landed near her muzzle. The rabbit took a few steps back, ready to make her way back up to where her parents were now that some of her work had been done.

Not even two steps later, a trio of her youngest siblings came sprinting by, nearly catching her off guard. The three little rabbits joyously ended up making slight disarray out of what originally was a nice, neat pile of autumn leaves. A choir of happy giggling trailed off as they ran onward. Judy shook her head with a grin on her muzzle, walking back with her rake still in her paws to try and get the leaves back in the order she had them in.

After finishing her work for the second time, she observed her surroundings once more and walked off. As a strange moment of silence arose, a thought entered Judy's mind. _Where's Nick?_ she asked herself. _He hasn't been-_

Her inquiry was cut short. Almost as if it was on cue, she started to hear a swift noise resonating from behind her.

"Cannonball!" Nick childishly shouted, running forward and gaining speed in preparation to jump into the leaves that Judy _just_ got done raking.

Judy turned her head around, almost to later in time. "No, Nick! I-"

 _Crunch!_

The sound of all of the fallen leaves being crunched into smaller fragments filled the air, a good portion of them even ended up rising back up in the air a little before falling back down into the pile. Judy stared at Nick, who looked like an oversized kit playing in the leaf pile like he currently was.

Soon enough, the fox's actions consequentially inspired Judy's siblings to do the same thing. The bunny trio came running back as fast as their small but nimble paws could carry them. They imitated what Nick had just done, squealing jovially as they jumped and joined him in the now jumbled pile of leaves.

The vulpine threw a small bit of leaves into the air watched them rain down, and two of the three rabbits started moving their arms and legs up and down to attempt at making the leaf equivalence of a snow angel.

Judy couldn't help but smile delightedly at the shenanigans of Nick and her siblings, as well as how her companion was getting along so well with her family. Setting her rake down and away for the moment, the doe joined in playing around in the leaves with the four.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Not exactly the best thing I could write out, but this silly little story popped into my head and I just had to get it out.**

 **Anyhow, I hope that I did a _decent_ job here. As always, let me know your thoughts. Your feedback, good and bad, is always gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time! :D**


	14. Get Well Soon

As quick as her legs could physically carry her, Judy rushed over to Nick's aid. She was no medical expert, but she knew that her companion was under the weather the moment she heard the coughing and hoarseness in his voice over the phone. She knew quite well that she needed to come to his aid as quick as she possibly could for two reasons: The first being how sensitive a fox's immune system could behave if not taken care of properly, and the second simply being that Nick more than often tended to overdramatize something.

"I'm here, Nick," she greeted as she stepped inside.

Nick hadn't even been under the weather that long and his living space had already looked like a tornado swept through it. Trying not to step on the scattered debris that the fox had carelessly laying across the usually well-kept floors, Judy came over to his bedroom.

"Achoo!"

The abrupt sneeze was what greeted the rabbit as she came over to Nick's bedside, ready to help him with whatever he needed at the moment. Bundled up under the thick blankets with a less-than-cheerful expression written across his muzzle, the fox exhaled deeply. Dotting his eyes, he glanced over at Judy. He had been feeling quite upset that he somehow managed to unexpectedly come down with something, especially when he had made plans to go somewhere with Judy.

A spree of raspy coughing came from the poor fox. Judy didn't seemed to be bothered by any of the potential germs that were now circulating around the room, simply putting the worries of such things away. Regardless of whatever Nick had, she was going to make sure that she provided the aid that he needed in whatever way she possibly could.

Judy looked around the bedroom. The place was just too dark and she needed to brighten the space with some positivity. After all, she knew that one could not get better when they were laying around in a space with a considerably depressive ambience.

"What we need in here is some sunlight," Judy remarked. "Can't get ya feeling better if you're sittin' all alone in the dark."

The rabbit made her way over to the bedroom window. Swiftly pulling the blinds up, the overpowering rays of the sun started to fill the room. Nick moaned and abruptly shielded a paw over his eyes, trying to acclimate to the now slightly overpowering brightness that his companion just let in the room. The fox was reacting like a vampire that had been exposed to the sun.

"Now isn't that better?" Judy inquired.

Nick nodded his head and grunted, his eyes still trying to get readjusted to the light that now illuminated the once dim and gloomy space. From where the fox was laying down, only his rabbit's silhouette could be seen through all the powerful light.

"Anyway, I made you something that I thought would help ya feel better," the rabbit said, walking back over to where she previously set her bag down. Fumbling under some of the various pieces of medical supplies she had on hand, she grabbed a large glass storage dish that contained something consisting of broth and vegetables. "Give me one minute and I'll heat you up some soup. It's a family recipe, so I know you'll enjoy it."

"Thanks C-Carrots," was all Nick could get out before he ended up heavily coughing again.

Grabbing a bowl in the kitchen, Judy got to work and started reheating the soup until it was just the right temperature. Once it was prepared and ready to be eaten, the doe helped Nick get propped up in his bed to enjoy the dish she made for him. The broth steamed to the fox's nostrils, the pleasant aroma coming from a variety of herbs hitting him.

Nick started to get himself a spoonful of the soup, the taste of it refreshing his sore throat as he swallowed.

"Oh, and one more thing," Judy remarked, heading back to the bag to retrieve yet another item from it.

The doe grabbed what looked like a colorful greeting card and set it promptly up on the fox's bedside. Nick dotted his eyes over, seeing the card that read "Get Well Soon!" in gold, glittered letters. He snickered slightly, and afterwards went back to enjoying the bowl of soup.

"Can't get better without a little affirmation from yours truly," Judy said, pointing a paw to the card. "You're welcome."

"You're an angel," he hoarsely remarked. "You know that, right?"

Judy delicately laughed and went back to helping Nick with whatever else he needed at the current moment. "Oh, I don't know about _that_."

"It's true, Fluff. You really are an angel."

And true it was. The angel that always came to Nick's aid, even if it was for something very small, was a certain bunny named Judy Hopps.


	15. Ice Skating

Although the sky had turned to dark a little bit ago, the night was still young around the city. In one particular spot in the middle of the district, mammals of all shapes and sizes could be seen occupying a particular area in Zootopia that seemed to be converted into an ice rink. Mammals young and old, couples and families alike, seemed to enjoy themselves as they glided across the ice surrounding them.

Watching some of the happy-go-lucky skaters from a wooden bench was Nick, who sat idly as he managed to catch a glimpse of his rabbit companion getting ready to join in on all of the fun. Judy, meanwhile, was lacing up the pair of pink skates that were provided to her and making her way over towards the frosty platform.

The doe's paws were a tad unsteady at first, but within a short amount time she started to swiftly glide across the ice. A wide smile coalesced on her muzzle as she continued to circumnavigate the perimeter, finishing off with a small jump slightly reminiscent of a professional figure skater as she entered Nick's vision.

The rabbit whooped with delight as she glided over to take a quick break, and Nick started applauding her from where he was positioned.

"And will the judge please review his score?" she jokingly remarked, stepping off of the ice and taking a seat next to Nick on the bench.

"That was marvelous," Nick murmured in reply. "And you said it's been how long since you last went ice skating?"

"It's been so long," she replied. "Probably not since I was just a kid. Back then, my parents would take me and my friends over to this small rink when winter came around. We'd basically skate until the sun went down."

"But how did you do that jump at the end just now, Carrots? That was, like, _professional_."

"Practice, Slick. Lots and lots of practice." An idea started taking shape in Judy's brain. "Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't you get yourself a pair of skates and join me?"

"I'll just watch from the sidelines, if that's alright with you," Nick insisted.

"But you're more than welcome to join," Judy replied.

"No thanks, Carrots."

"Why not? You scared that you won't be able to keep up with me?"

The fox huffed. "I'll have you know that, even if I wanted to, I could probably spin circles around you on that rink, Fluff."

The doe giggled at the vulpine's rhetoric. "If that's the case, then you wouldn't mind showing me. Hold on, I'll be right back!"

Judy hopped off of the bench and went over to a stand that was located a few paces away.

"Come on," she said, placing a pair of fox-sized skates in front of him. "Time to show me what ya got."

Nick managed to get prepared and step both paws onto the ice. Judy briskly slid across the ice once again, turning herself around so she could directly face her vulpine partner a few steps away from her. Nick started to sail a few paces with slightly wobbly legs, trying quite hard to keep his balance steady as he tried to mimic Judy's movements.

However, when he tried to gradually pick up the pace in an effort to impress Judy, Nick ended up feeling his own paws fly from underneath him, sending him crashing down onto the ground.

Judy skated her way over to the fox. "And what was that again about you skating circles around me, Slick?" she inquired, rubbing it in.

"I was just warming up, Carrots," Nick replied. "Besides, it was _the ice_ that messed me up there."

"Mhmm, sure it was."

Getting himself ready once again, the fox moaned and managed to get himself back up on his paws again. As Judy continued to happily float across the perimeter like it was second nature, Nick slowly slid around one particular spot with a very terrible sense of balance. On his next attempts to get in on the action and have some fun on the rink, he unfortunately ended up slipping after a few moments of gliding in a straight line.

From where he was sitting after landing flat on his rump again, the vulpine observed all of the other mammals who all seemed like they were having fun. While not as busy as it previously was, there was still a good number of citizens occupying the park. Nick caught sight of a polar bear and her children, the little ones laughing as they simply frolicked around the ice.

 _Geez, am I the only one here who can't skate?_ Nick thought. _Everybody here makes it look like it's so easy!_

Judy came strolling by, looking over at Nick as she took a breath that became visible in the cold air of the night. "C'mon," she said. "Take my paw"

The vulpine lifted his slouched head up, gazing directly at Judy's paw. "No, I'm good. I'll probably end up fallin' again anyhow."

"Come on," she insisted. "I won't let you fall."

Nick outstretched a paw, interlocking it with Judy's as he hoisted his body back up off of the ground. _Here goes nothin',_ he said to himself.

The fox hesitated as he followed the doe's lead, half expecting himself to end slipping yet another time. Judy caught a glimpse of the nervous expression written across his muzzle. It appeared as if the fox's attention was primarily focusing on the icy ground.

"Don't worry, Nick," she persuaded. "Look up at me, I'm not gonna let you fall."

The vulpine obeyed Judy's command, bringing his focus away from the ground and looking into Judy's amethyst eyes. With that, Nick smirked and gave Judy's paws a squeeze as she started to slightly pick up her pace. Within a few short moments, the fox found himself smoothly encircling the rink with his rabbit companion right by his side.

Chuckling as he started to widely smile, Nick continued to glide across the ice with Judy, paw in paw within the cold air of the night.


	16. Bookstore

If there was one lesson that Nick was currently learning, it was that he should never take Judy shopping for books. According to the observations he most recently made, it starts as a quick stop into the store just to browse and ends with her purchasing more than enough.

 _Who knew Carrots was such a bookworm?_ he thought.

As Judy happily placed her purchases on the large, polished check-out counter, Nick made his way over to another spot in the store where a good amount of other mammals were congregated. Along with being a popular bookstore in the heart of the district, the shop the two were also had what seemed like a nice little cafe inside of it.

The vulpine made his way over to the small establishment that was within the building. According to the obvious title on the sign, it went by the name of Elinor's Cafe. Even though the fox normally to went to more notable places for his daily dose of caffeine, it was always nice to try a cup of coffee and maybe something sweet from a different place within the city.

The pleasing aromas circulating around the fox seemed to capture everything that presumably made the menu so delectable to its customers. The scent of coffee beans being brewed filled the air, mixing with the scents that came from whatever desserts and small pastries they still had prepared for the afternoon.

A line of mammals of all sizes congregated near the front register, patiently waiting their turn to purchase whatever decadents they wanted. Nick managed to get in line, ordering two coffees and a box of desserts. Within a few moments, the black bear working there handed him his purchases.

Nick walked over to where a few small tables were positioned to the large windows of the shop were. Puling out a chair, he looked over at Judy getting all finished up with paying for her haul of books. As Nick gestured for her to come to where he was seated, the doe walked over with two large bags of books in both paws.

Setting her bags down to the side and pulling out a chair, Judy sat down and looked out of the spacious window. The doe exhaled and lifted the cup of coffee that Nick ordered for up to her mouth. Taking a gentle sip, she put on smile at the refreshing taste of the beverage.

Nick opened up the to-go box he had down on the table, revealing the sweet treats that were packed inside of it. Within the box was a small set of tarts. Nick's tail wagged excitedly as he took one of the sweet treats and happily popped it into his mouth. His face had an expression of euphoria as he savored the taste of blueberry. Once he finished the first tart, he quickly stuck his paw back into the box and grabbed two more for him to enjoy.

Judy shook her head as she took another sip from her cup of coffee. _Gosh,_ she said to herself, _he's eating those things like there's no tomorrow!_

"You gonna save one of those for me, Slick?" Judy asked.

Nick, who was ready to put another dessert in his mouth, paused and looked over at the doe, who smiled at his childish antics once again.

"Doesn't look like you're willing to share those," the doe joked.

Nick chuckled, handing Judy one of the small desserts. "Where are my manners? Here you are."

The doe giggled as she took a bite. It was no doubt why Nick was in love with the way they tasted, considering that there was a touch of blueberry added to the miniature dessert.

"Should've known you wouldn't be able to walk outta here without buying something sweet," Judy remarked.

"These had blueberry in them, how could I resist trying them being the blueberry connoisseur that I am?"

Judy let out another innocent laugh. "I guess so. But if that's the case, how does the 'connoisseur' rate these here desserts?"

"Guess I'd give it four out of five, give or take. Even then, nothing ever comes close to the taste of the berries from your family's farm."

Judy turned her head over to her side, reaching into one of her bags to grab one of her newly-purchased books. The doe smiled as she held the hardcover book in her paws, opening it up and flipping through the first few pages to get an idea of how it was going to start.

"Woah," she murmured, pertaining to what was undoubtedly an intriguing start to what she was reading.

Nick looked over at his companion, surprised at how she almost immediately seemed to be invested in whatever story it was. "Reading that _already_ , Carrots?"

The doe lifted her nose out of the book and looked over at the vulpine beside her. "Just need to see how it starts is all," she said. "Been waiting to get this one for awhile now."

"From the size of those bags," Nick replied, "it looks like you got a good bit of reading material for now, if I do say so myself. Besides, where are all of those going to go on the shelf? They're all almost full."

"One does not simply stop buying books just 'cause there's no room on a shelf," the doe stated before returning to the page she had stopped on.

"If you say so, my book-loving bunny," Nick said, managing to get a giggle out of Judy. "What kind of book is that you have there anyway?"

Closing the book up for a later time after reading its prologue, Judy set it on the table and slide it slightly over to Nick so he could read the description on the back of it.

"A mystery novel, Fluff?" he inquired, feeling slightly surprised at his bunny's literary selection.

"Yeah," she breathed. "What about it?"

"Well that can't be _too_ fun, those detective skills of yours will probably know who did the crime a few pages into it."

"Maybe, maybe not. Guess I'll just have to read and see about that. Always been a fan of mysteries since I wanted to be a cop. Was always a big reader, and there was this one series I used to read about a kit who went around her town and solved little mysteries with her classmates."

Judy smiled and leaned back as she continued to reminisce. The memories of her youth replayed in her mind, sitting relaxed in her bedroom after homework had been done, reading from among her small collection of fun stories. Donning the police officer hat that she wore when she proudly proclaimed her ambitions, she would read as she dreamed about how one day she could possibly be able to crack cases like the kit in the stories.

"I can remember it like it was yesterday," the doe continued with a smile, "I'd refuse to put those books down until they came to a close. I even got a signed copy of my favorite one, too."

"Really?" Nick said, his attention being piqued.

"Yep," Judy replied. "Gosh, holding that book back then felt like I was holding onto pure gold."

Nick simply nodded his head in response to Judy's little anecdote. The fox turned his head back, looking around at the rest of the store behind him.

"And how about you, Nick?" Judy asked.

Nick turned his head upon the doe's inquiry. "What was that, Carrots?"

"What about you?" Judy repeated. "What kind of stories do you like?"

Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly," the vulpine said, grinning slyly, "there's this one that I personally think is the best story ever. And to make it even better, it's all true."

"Oh, yeah?" Judy said, intrigued. "Please elaborate."

"It's about a sly bunny that takes on a big case," Nick continued, intertwining his paw with his companion's. "And by her side, thick and thin, is a slick, witty fox."

The doe snickered and innocently grinned at Nick bringing up memories of all of their previous perilous adventures. "You forgot to mention that the fox was handsome."

"Good thing you brought that up, Carrots."

Judy giggled as the two of them gazed into each other's eyes for a brief moment. The fox and rabbit turned their attention back out to the window, where they continued to get glimpses of the admirable sights of Tundratown. The weather conditions, from what the two of them could observe, were basically perfect around the area. Large piles of snow blanketed the streets of the district's wondrous cityscapes, and mammals of all sorts could be seen strolling up and down the sidewalks highly bundled up in layers of warmer clothing. Throughout the downtown area that the windows looked out to, Judy could glimpse at the faintly illuminated signs on top of the notable buildings that surrounded her.

"Such a great view from here," Judy said, staring back at Nick.

"That's the wonder of Tundratown, sweetheart," Nick remarked with wit. "It's a heavenly spectacle for all of the senses."

"Wow, Slick. Coming from you, that sounded pretty sophisticated."

"Nah, that's not me. I was just reading the words off of that sign over there," the fox admitted, pointing over to a small billboard meant to attract customers into buying desserts.

Judy didn't hold back the laughter towards her fox's antics. "Dumb fox," she giggled.

Nick even managed to chuckle at himself for a quick moment. As the gentle conversation carried on, the vulpine's eyes dotted back out to the window.

Even though a day like this was not the most eventful in terms of activity, it was the simple, little moments like this that he and his companion still cherished. Clear skies, coffee, and his bunny by his side was all he needed right now to enjoy himself and have a good time.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **I'm a self-proclaimed bookworm, so this story was inspired by my own love and fascination for reading stories of all kinds.**

 **I also like think of Judy as the kind of mammal that enjoys reading, so I personally thought this would be a potential scenario between her and her companion. :)**

 **This was also another attempt to better my abilities at creating dialogue back and forth between our duo, so I'm hoping I did a decent job at that.**

 **As always, let me know your thoughts. Your feedback, good and bad, is gladly** **appreciated.** **Hope you enjoyed this little story of mine, and thank you to everybody who's been giving my stories a read.**

 **'Til next time! :D**


	17. In Remembrance

The sun was just beginning to set over the horizon as Nick and Judy casually strolled their way through one of the many parks of Savannah Central. Slowly passing up the small playground area and the rows of colorful flowers that grew near benches, the fox and rabbit continued to follow the path of the concrete walkway.

The two made a right when the walkway finally split in two different directions, and they found themselves coming up to something big. The material of the pathway changed from simply paved concrete to cobblestone as they came closer and closer to the spot that they were both gradually making their way to.

A humongous, gray monolith of stone stood before them, seeming to stretch on almost the entire way around the circular perimeter of well-trimmed grass that surrounded it. Four plaques had been placed upon the stone, names being written upon them. Two spotlights stood on both sides of the area, faintly beginning to light up as the sky started to get just a few tints darker.

What Nick and Judy were currently standing in front of was none other than Savannah Central's Memorial Wall, an addition that was placed within the park a long time ago in order to commemorate those served in the past.

Walking up closer to the far right side of the Memorial Wall, Nick made his way over to one of the plaques with all of the names of the remembered mammal's written on them.

The vulpine gazed at the certain section of the memorial, his eyes dotting over to the bottom right hand corner. He looked through all of those whose names started with "W" before finally bringing his eyes to the last name of "Wilde."

Nick simply continued to stare at the mentioned member of his family that was carved among the list, and then studied all of the many mammals who were also mentioned by the memorial. In his silence, the fox began to think about all of those who gave their lives to fight for the place that they called their home. To ensure that said home had a peaceful tomorrow.

Straightening up his body, the vulpine raised his paw and made salute to the honorary wall as he blinked away a small tear forming in his eye. The pinkish orange sunset was no more, and the brilliant moonlight was about to peak its way through into the sky at any moment.

Nick made his way back to the pathway, where Judy stood patiently with a delicate smile. With that her and her fox continued to walk back home as nighttime started to blanket the city.


	18. Open Mic

Judy's ears stood up on end, being immediately enticed by a melody that was resonating near her as she made her way to the front door. From there, the doe found the direct source of the sounds. Her fox sat idly on the living room floor, resting against the bottom of the couch behind him with a black acoustic guitar firmly strapped around him.

She got closer to him, and he continued to play with great focus. His right paw glided smoothly across the fretboards of the guitar, a sweet and gentle sound reverberating from the rhythmically plucked strings. The widening smile of the vulpine indicated that he was currently in a happy place, humming along to the tune that he was trying to play as he carried on.

The tune carried on as Judy observed a few paces away from the fox. About a minute of soothing sounds later, the little melody was finished. The doe clapped in delight. _That was just wonderful,_ she thought. _How come he never played for me sooner? He could've been serenading me._

"Beautiful, Nick," she said. "Encore."

The utterance of Judy's applause made Nick jump a little, as he was not expecting anyone to be there and watch him "perform."

The fox was at a loss of how to respond. "Oh, uh… Hey, Carrots, how's it goin'?"

"Didn't know that you could play guitar," she replied, still in a small state of amazement due to the fox's undeniably charming musical skills.

"Yeah," the fox admitted, "but it's been a long time since I've picked it up again."

"You did it so well though, I mean… wow!"

The vulpine stretched his neck slightly, taking the matching black guitar strap off of him. He wasn't exactly sure in his mind how the doe seemed so awestruck by the fact he could just make a simple tune. "Oh, it's nothin', Fluff. My playing skills aren't exactly what they used to be."

"Well, I think it sounds wonderful."

"Oh, I don't know about _that_ -"

"Perhaps you could use a singing partner?" the doe interrupted, taking a seat to her fox.

"Huh?"

"You know, we could both sing along as you play. Kinda like a duet. I heard there was an open mic gonna happen in a few days over at that restaurant in town, perhaps you like to sign up?"

"I might have to pass on your offering, Carrots," Nick said, hesitant. The fox pondered in silence for a short moment, a claw involuntarily plucking one the strings and making it resonate a single, deep note. "Never really played for any kind of crowd before. I don't think a bunch of mammals wanna hear _my_ voice."

Judy outstretched a paw and placed in gently on Nick's shoulder. "You're probably just gonna be playing for a few customers there, it's not like you're heading to play for a sports stadium or something."

"I still might to take a raincheck on your offer, though."

"I'm gonna sign us up," Judy proclaimed, completely ignoring the vulpine's disagreement to what she was proposing for the two of them to do. "It's just a little open mic that's being held for fun, how many mammals could _possibly_ be there?"

* * *

 _ **A Few Days Later...**_

Much to Nick's misfortune, the restaurant was basically at its full capacity. All of the tables that surrounded the restaurant had been filled with customers that came to grab a quick bite or a few drinks for the evening. With the mixture of the jumbling conversations of the various mammals and the current performer in the open mic, the noise level was quite high for the overall size of the establishment.

The vulpine tugged slightly at the guitar strap that hung over his neck, gently peaking over the side to watch who was out on a small platform playing music for everyone to here. The platform was small but elevated, with a few bright neon signs hanging a few feet above it. A badger currently was happily seated on top of a small stool, an ordinary, brown acoustic guitar resting on his lap. The voice that came out of him was a little bit deep but still pleasant to the ears, reciting a gentle tune about country living.

The badger's humble performance came to a close, making the fox's ears droop down in dismay. Knowing that he was finished meant that he and Judy were up next in only a few short moments.

"You know, Fluff," he said, sensing the presence of Judy on his side, "it's not too late to just head out. We can go somewhere else and enjoy-"

A deer came out from the other side of the makeshift stage, looking directly at the fox and rabbit. "Wilde and Hopps, right?" he asked. "It's time."

Nick nervously gulped as Judy took him by the paw and led him out to where they needed to go. The vulpine took his load off on the wooden stool and the doe stood right beside him, delicately smiling.

"Don't be nervous," Judy whispered.

The fox nodded his head, shrugged his shoulders, and gently tapped a claw on the microphone that was only a few inches away from him. Feedback resonated around the space, seeming to get the attention of most of the mammals gathered around the restaurant for the evening.

Anxiously chuckling, the vulpine got his paw into the proper position for the first chord shape and started to slowly strum all of the string in a specific pattern.

The angelic sound that was none other than Judy's singing voice chimed in, and Nick's voice joined hers a short moment after. Even though the vulpine's voice was not exactly worthy of a record deal when compared to his bunny's, the sounds of them sharing the musical moment together still had their charm.

As they stood their side by side and continued, several different joyous memories started replaying in Judy's mind thanks to the music bringing them up. Smiling, the doe reminisced about some of the fun memories that she made with her companion as Nick went into a solo session of just strumming the guitar.

The fox and rabbit carried on up until their little performance to everyone came to a close. Nick finished off with a cheerful picking pattern as Judy quietly clapped her paws together with personal applause for the two of them.

A few seconds of silence passed, and within that noiselessness Nick thought they weren't enjoying what he had performed. However, a small but considerable amount of clapping filled the air, coming from all four corners of the restaurant. The fox got up from his seat and stood proudly beside Judy.

Nick couldn't help but continue to grin with delight, letting his ears take in all of the wondrous applause that he and his companion were receiving.


	19. Surprise!

Today was none other than Judy's birthday, and that meant that Nick was busily trekking from room to room trying to make sure he had things in order for when she came over. The vulpine wanted to make sure that she had a surprise, something that would put a smile on her muzzle the moment she stepped a paw through the door.

The living room area had been joyfully decorated, using some much-needed supplies that Nick scored after recently making a quick trip to a nearby store. A vast amount of playful streamers were comically spread across the unoccupied space of the room, and over to the left the dining room table had been completely changed into a station for celebrating the special day. On the side of the table where Judy always sat, a small amount of gift boxes with eye-popping colors were stacked up high next to two greeting cards.

Nick had now been occupied with adding to the dining room what would be the completion to all of the scenery. The fox was hanging up a large banner that spelled out "Happy Birthday" in bubbly letters, making it stretch the whole across Judy's area.

Fumbling slightly, a side of the banner fell to the floor, making it only read out "Birthday" instead of its complete phrase. A smirk forming on his muzzle, Nick jokingly made a heavy sigh and pretended in his tone of voice to sound confused.

"Geez," he muttered, loud enough to get the attention of someone who was currently in another room. "This banner's really gettin' the best of me!"

After making his remark, Nick cocked his head to the left. The vulpine heard a sound come from the other room, but no one was to be seen. Nick found it harder to contain his sly grin that continued to grow on his muzzle. "If only there was a certain hero that could come and help me," he said.

"Fear not!" a playful, young voice cried out from the other room, afterwards going into a small spree of innocent giggles.

The voice belonged to none other than his kit, a curious young boy with a huge imagination. The swift sound of the little one's tiny padded paws scattered across the hall, coming closer and closer as it made its way over to where he needed to be. The skittering sounds of the paws became muffled and almost completely insulated once they hit the thick rug the dining room table sat under.

Clutching onto an action figure of his all-time favorite superhero in his paw, the kit looked up at Nick. "What is it?" he inquired, imaginatively envisioning that he was a superhero himself and that he was called by his father to save the day once again.

"Well," Nick said, his voice pretending to sound like he was in absolute need of help. "I really need to put this banner up for Momma's birthday, but I just can't seem to get it to stay on tight. Could really use a strong hero to help me out. You know where I might be able to find one?"

The kit straightened his stance, his paws crunched on his hips in an imitation of a powerful superhero. The playful but serious look on his muzzle got Nick to grin uncontrollably.

"That's pretty high up there," Nick continued. "You sure you're up for that mission?"

The little one made a salute and started to smile.

Nick walked over to the young one and helped him up so he could assist him in securing the banner into its proper placement. After setting him back down, the vulpine merrily applauded him for helping him out.

The vibrating sound of the phone caught the fox's attention, making him walk over to it to read the notification that popped up on it. It was a text from, saying that she was making her way over and would be there pretty soon.

"Alright, buddy," Nick said. "Momma's gonna be comin' home pretty soon. You remember the drill, right?"

A nod from the kit's head indicated to the vulpine the he knew quite well what they needed to do next. About two minutes later, the fox heard Judy approaching the doorstep. Once the sounds of the doe putting the key into the lock of the front door greeted his ears, Nick and his son ran over to the kitchen where they would be out of sight for the time being.

The door opened with a creak, and Judy stepped into the house. Setting her stuff down on the floor beside her, the gray rabbit looked left and right.

"Nick?" she called out, starting to sense that something unusual was going out. "Nick, I'm back."

For the little boy and his father, it became harder and harder to keep the shenanigan going without bursting into laughter and spoiling the surprise.

Unsuspectingly, Judy walked passed the area that Nick had just spent the afternoon preparing for her birthday celebration. "Guys, where are you-"

Suddenly without any hesitation, Nick and his kit popped out from the corner both donning party hats. "Surprise!" they both exclaimed in unison, finishing off by both blowing into two individual paper party horns.

Judy got a look around at everything that laid out before her, placing a paw over her mouth that hung wide open in adoration of the effort put into the decorations. The doe's eyes brightly lit up, and with that she gave hugs to both and Nick and her kit.

Sure, it wasn't exactly the fanciest setup, nor was it a gigantic party for that matter. But despite how simplistic of a surprise it was that she was greeted with, just being within the presence of who she loved the most made this day the perfect birthday in every sense.

* * *

 **Author's Note: This story was a little bit different this time around. After a discussion with a friend about how Nick and Judy would be with a kit, this fun little idea popped into my head and I thought I should share it with you guys. This is what I envisioned it would be like if they had a kit, so hope I did a fair job here. Forgive me if it seems to be lacking in overall background and such; I wrote this on a whim just for fun.**

 **Not sure if I'll do any other stories like this with Nick and Judy having a kit, as this one was just to practice how I could write something like that out. Maybe, maybe not. These stories are in no particular order after all; they're just any idea that features Nick and Judy that comes to mind.**

 **As always, let me know your thoughts. Feedback, good and bad, is gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time! :D**


	20. Countdown

**Author's Note: Occasionally, I'll use some of those prompt generators that you can find online that help inspire you to get ideas going. In this story's case, the concept I was given was just one word: Countdown.**

 **While I originally had other things in mind for this prompt, my head kept going back to the countdown to when the New Year starts. Yes, I know that it's _way_ too late to be sharing these stories that are centered around New Year's Eve and Day, a time that won't be coming around on the calendars for _awhile_. And yes, ****I also know that sharing it now probably defeats the purpose, but I guess it's better late than never. Right?**

 ***crickets chirping***

 **Oh well, it's on here now! Next time, let's all just pray that any holiday special that I decide to write will actually be done at a more reasonable date! XD**

 **Anyhow, I still hope you like this one and that it puts a smile on your face. Let me know your thoughts. Feedback, both good and bad, is gladly appreciated. Also, just wanna say "thanks" to everyone who has been keeping up with all of my stories. So glad to know that some of y'all are enjoying them! :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The celebration pressed onward, as if everyone who was participating had somehow forgotten how to stand still. A variety of flashing colors sparkled dazzlingly from the crowded city streets of Savannah Central. About twenty minutes earlier, music from some of the live performances resonated powerfully. The cheering and commotion from excited mammals could be heard, unequally blending with the tunes being played.

It was the time to celebrate the arrival of what was going to be an exciting new year once again, and the streets were completely transformed into one humongous celebration. The crowds stood packed together in the night. Some mammals holding up some large fluorescent paper signs, reading out with messages that delivered greetings to family or friends that might have been watching the live event being broadcasted on television.

Despite the fact that all of the fun festivities were taking place in the heart of the district, the celebration proved to be much more enjoyable from up above the streets.

Her head looking over the colorful cityscapes, Judy observed every viewable inch of the gigantic party continuing from down below. Courtesy of the much enjoyable balcony of the apartment, she and Nick were both grateful to get to witness the changing year from this kind of perspective. In contrast to standing crowded on a street corner, the doe could stand gently beside her companion and glimpse at everything.

A few brief moments of time had passed, and with that the final moment of the gigantic celebration was yet to come. In two minutes and counting, the ball would drop and the new year would officially commence.

Nick looked over to the right, catching a glimpse at the countdown clock that slowly ticked forward on a visible billboard by a close skyscraper. The proverbial lightbulb appeared and glowed above his head, and an idea began to quickly form within his brain. The vulpine stretched his back, tapped his claws upon the railing of the balcony, and looked over at the bunny beside him.

"So," the fox said, casually putting a paw on Judy's arm. "Looks like the final countdown's starting."

Judy cocked her head up from where she was looking down. The doe could immediately sense that he was being sly, the words that slipped out of his mouth having that sound that she knew almost too well. "Yeah," she breathed. "And?"

"Well…" the sly vulpine hesitated. "If you're asking me, my personal belief is that it's only logical to kick the New Year off with a kiss."

Judy tried hard to hide a grin that was forming on her muzzle. _Should have known something like this was coming sooner or later_ , she thought.

"Is that so?" the doe jokingly inquired.

The fox grinned, his eyes meeting his companion's familiar amethyst ones. "It's like the law of the universe, Fluff. You seriously didn't know about any of this?"

"Nope, I'll admit I haven't."

"In that case, you can consider yourself enlightened on New Year's physics."

Judy giggled as she turned her head to the side. "There's just one problem," she replied.

"And what would that be, Carrots?"

"I don't know see anyone that'd be able to give me that New Year's kiss."

"Well," the fox remarked, a sly grin on his muzzle. "There's a certain fox I'm familiar with who might be able to complete your request. It's such short notice, but I could ask him for you if you'd like."

Judy simply snickered as Nick carried on with his typical witty shenanigans. She breathed out and went to respond, but paused before she could say anything. The doe was interrupted upon seeing that it was almost time for the new year to finally arrive. The vulpine beside her also seemed surprised at how quickly the time seemed to be flying by.

Nick looked and saw that the countdown now read that there was only fifty seconds left. He still had a few things left to say to his bunny, and only a significantly short amount of time to say them. After all, he wanted to say the things that were currently on his mind before the year changed.

The fox exhaled, his breath becoming a visible cloud that cut into the crisp and cool air. As Judy turned around to face the fox, she took both of her paws and intertwined them with those of her companion's. Sweet smiles broke out on both of their muzzles, complete with a small bit of unintentional laughter. Their joyous enthusiasm seemed to become contagious to the two of them.

"Judy," Nick said, hesitating slightly.

The ears of the bunny in front of him perked up, intrigued by what was about to come out of his mouth. If there was one she knew, it was that he always said something meaningful whenever he referred to her by her _literal_ name, and not by "Carrots" or "Fluff."

"Y-Yeah?" the doe breathed out, waiting for Nick to finish what he was starting to say.

"This year has been amazing, and we've made so many great memories together. And I'm certain that many more good times await me, as long as you're standing there by my side."

"That was..." Judy started. "Pretty sappy, Slick."

Nick jokingly placed a paw near his chest and pretended to clench at it. "That wounded me, Fluff," he remarked.

Judy smiled and gave his paw a gentle squeeze. "But I honestly don't care how sappy it sounds, 'cause I feel exactly the same way, Nick. Don't know what I'd do without you."

The fox looked down at his companion as she stopped hugging him for the time being, then dotted his eyes back at the clock as it quickly neared its final portions of the countdown. He could faintly hear the chorusing voices that came from all of the mammals in the streets counting down as things carried on.

 _Five..._

 _Four…_

 _Three…_

 _Two…_

Acting exactly two seconds before the very stroke of midnight, Judy stood on tippy-toes, wrapped his arms around Nick and delivered a both delicate and heartfelt kiss. Nick didn't exactly prepared to receive it a few seconds before he originally was expecting it. The vulpine leaned his head and stared into Judy's gleaming eyes as they enjoyed the time out on the balcony together.

The enthusiastic shouts of the mammals from down below rung out across the city, and the illuminated signs brightly glowed in celebration. Streams of confetti rained down onto the closed-off portions of the streets. Fireworks crackled and popped in the sky, scintillating in the blackened sky with an array of pretty, eye-popping colors.

"Now I can say that I kissed on both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day at the same time," Judy remarked.

"You really _are_ a sly bunny," he murmured in reply.


	21. Museum

Walking down the uncrowded halls of the Natural History Museum, Nick and Judy both got a first look around at some of the artifacts that the main area of the building had on display. It was currently mid-afternoon around he metropolis, and the museum didn't seem to be bustling with visitors like it more than often did.

The fox and rabbit stopped at a series of statues, all of which were depictions of what mammals looked like long before Zootopia ever came to mind. After taking their time and reading through some of the boards of information that the exhibits provided, the two made a right and started to walk over to an ever-so-familiar portion of the museum.

As one could assume, where Nick and Judy made their way to was where the most mammals were located. In the next spacious area of the museum, the sunlight came bursting in through various windows that were up above them all.

While the building never had any loud or unwanted noise circulating around it, this particular part of it seemed to be where all of the sound and traffic was. In contrast to the other halls being basically bare, with only a few mammals other than Nick and Judy occupying them, this next space was busy.

The sounds of paws and hooves clicked across the marble floors of the main atrium, echoing around the chamber. Several families could be seeing on both sides looking around at whatever was interesting them, kits and grown-ups alike pointing at some of the different artifacts that were enclosed in protective glass cases.

In the very heart of the space, another bunch of enthusiastic mammals seemed to be staring down at something that was below them. Where they were all congregated near was none other than the exhibit that would remain iconic to the history of both the Natural History Museum and the city of Zootopia itself. Nick, upon seeing the location, immediately recognized the spot as the natural exhibit that Bellwether's ram minions pushed him and Judy into.

The memories of those perilous but exciting moments started coming to Nick's mind as he looked down at the circular observatory; the moments so clear in his head as if a miniature film projector was playing in his brain. Judy met up with the vulpine, placing a paw on Nick's arm and the other on the protective steel railing.

"Gosh," the doe murmured. "Can't believe it's already been three years, Slick. It feels like yesterday that we were pushed into that very spot."

"Yeah," Nick breathed simplistically in reply, looking over at his companion. "But I'll admit that the museum is a lot better viewing it this way. _Especially_ when you don't got some crazy sheep running after you."

Judy laughed. "Yep, that's for sure."

"And who would've ever guessed that we'd become part of the exhibit, too?" the vulpine inquired.

The fox pointed over to two tall carved figures, sculpted in both his and Judy's likeness. Although he was seeing it with his own eyes, it still felt unbelievable to Nick that he somehow became a part of the city's modern history somehow.

"If you would've told me three years ago that I'd be celebrated in Zootopia's history books, I would've told you that you we're crazy," Nick continued, happy tears starting to take form in his eyes. "Now I got a statue, and it's all thanks to this sly bunny right beside me." He pointed a paw gently towards Judy, making her smile. "It's all because you believed in me, Carrots."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Still can't believe that Zootopia turned three years old not only a few days ago.** **Gosh, I remember like it was just yesterday that I first saw and fell in love with it. So I wrote this small story here to help celebrate the movie turning three years old. :)**

 **As always, let me know your thoughts. Your feedback, good and bad, is always gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time! :D**


	22. Evening at the Hopps Family Farm

"And the look that was on Bellwether's face when Judy showed her that recording," Nick said. "Gosh, was it priceless!"

A chorus of laughter, coming from familiar voices both young and old, filled the wide and spacious living room of Judy's childhood home. The evening was approaching across the Hopps Family farm, and everybody had just taken their loads off after finishing up a delicious home-cooked meal.

Nick sat in the middle of couch as he told his little anecdote about how they arrested former Mayor Bellwether yet another time. Most of Judy's youngest siblings, as well as her parents, sat idly in there seats, attentively listening in as the vulpine told the tale for what once again with a great amount of detail. Even though he had repeated the same stories about the big cases that he and Judy solved together time and time again, it always seemed like the little ones couldn't get enough of hearing about their adventures.

As Nick finished up the very last parts of his narrative, a trio of Judy's overly enthusiastic siblings (two boys and one girl) started raising their paws and loudly chorusing out questions and the like:

"Oooh! Tell us the story about when you two were on that train again!"  
"He told us that one _last_ time!"  
" _I_ want to hear the story of about when he and Judy were-"

"Now now," Stu interrupted, getting the attention of all three of the ebullient young bunnies. "I'd say that's enough stories for right now. Say, why don't y'all head back over to the table and grab Uncle Nick what ya made for him the other day?"

The rabbit trio nodded their heads and listened to the words of their father, sprinting off and making their way back over to another decorative table that was near the dining room. Stu took a sip of freshly-squeezed lemonade from his cup, set it back down on the nearby coaster, and put his paws up as he reclined back in his chair.

The three bunnies came back quickly, in their paws were various different things that they made specifically for Nick.

"We did arts and crafts, Uncle Nick," the one rabbit said.

"Here," another one chimed in, stepping up to Nick and handing him a folded piece of paper. "I drew this for you."

The vulpine placed a paw on his chest. "For me?" he remarked.

Nick unfolded the paper and looked at what Judy's younger sibling drew for him. Inside was a drawing done in crayon, portraying him and Judy surrounded by, from the looks of it, was a depiction of what the family farm looked like. The two of them had wide smiles drawn upon them, standing happily by a large tree that was in the middle of the doodled page.

Nick turned to Judy and showed her the drawing, to which she smiled widely upon looking at it.

The small bunny gasped excitedly at the pleasent reactions of both Judy and the fox. "You like it?" he asked them both, enthusiastically.

"Absolutely," the vulpine replied. "I'll definitely cherish this. You captured me quite well in this one." The fox pointed to a particular spot on the page. "Especially, uh..."

The fox was confused upon seeing something that seemed a little bit different in the drawing when compared to his true self. In the doodle, Nick seemed to have his pointed ears colored in a shape of blue that unequally blended in with the rest of the russet-like color used to outline him. Little did the fox know that the crayon that resembled his fur's color ended up missing when the little bunny was working on the art project, so he was unfortunately left with no choice but to improvise and use something that was unusual but hopefully capable of not sticking out on the page.

"Especially the little touch you did on my ears there," the fox said. When the words came out, Nick first thought for a quick second that the rabbit would be upset upon him making that observation. But he wasn't in the slightest. In fact, the young one seemed happy to see "Uncle Nick" was noticing the little artistic touch that he added to the drawing for him.

"That's called creative liberty, sweetheart," Judy remarked slyly remarked to Nick, getting a small, innocent chuckle out of him. "If anything, it makes this piece a lot more abstract."

"Couldn't agree more, Fluff," The fox replied. Turning his attention back over to his companion's younger sibling, he remarked, "And _you_ , good sir, are quite an artist." The vulpine miserably failed at holding back the grin that was now starting to take form upon his muzzle. "Keep on practicing and ya might just get in the art museums one day."

The young buck laughed happily as he ran out of the room and went to another spot in the house. Nick took a look at the small crafts that Judy's other two siblings made for him, the smile never leaving him as he glimpsed at the crafts that seemed to be ever-so-meaningful to him. The vulpine was so glad that he was able to get along well with the Hopps family, and Judy was equally happy about it, too.

Another one of Judy's sisters came down to the living room from her upstairs bedroom. Bonnie and Stu turned their heads as she came down the steps one after the other. The rabbit fumbled a paw over the shiny rows black and white keys of a small upright piano that sat idly in the far left corner of the space. When she pressed down upon them, the sounds of mismatched notes resonated loudly from the corner.

"Oh, that just reminded me of somethin'," Bonnie said, looking over at Judy. "Was wonderin' if you wouldn't mind playing us a little tune. It's been forever since you went over there and played us something."

Nick looked over at both Bonnie and Judy for a second. _Wait,_ _Judy played piano?_ he thought. _She never brought that up to me, come to think of it._

"Uh, I dunno," Judy said, hesitating a little bit. "It's been awhile since I played. I think my ability to play might've worn off a bit since then."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll do just fine, dear," Bonnie said. "Go on over and play us something."

The doe made her way over to piano. It had been there for a long time occupying the corner, but it only seemed to get its fair usage on less than occasional moments like this. Judy pulled the piano bench out and shifted in her seat, hoping that those piano lessons she took in her youth payed off and that she would be able to play something that was at least decent to the ears. The doe pressed down on a few of the keys, refreshing her memory. Pressing down the pedal and getting her paws into their proper placement, she officially started to play.

Everyone gathered within the living room paused from their conversations and attentively listened to the slow, simplistic melody that Judy was attempting to play. While their was occasions in which a note or two would be slightly off from what it should have been, the doe continued to play through the gentle tune.

Nick simply watched his companion play with an expression of pure awe, astonished by yet another one of the doe's additional talents. When the tune slowed down and the final twinkling notes resonated across the room, the vulpine was the first to clap for Judy. Everybody else around joined in with a round of applause, some of her siblings even asking for an encore.

"Thank you," the doe jokingly remarked. "You've been a wonderful audience."

After taking a bow, Judy walked back over to the couch and sat right by Nick's side.

"That was beautiful, Carrots," he whispered, placing his paw on hers.

Gazing out to the large window, Nick glimpsed and saw that the sun had now fully set across the horizon.

Turning his head back around, the vulpine continued to look around at all of the sincere smiles surrounding him. It was serene evenings such as these on the family farm that Nick wished he could stay in forever.


	23. Movie Night

Finally being the weekend, Nick and Judy both thought that it would probably be a good time once again to have movie night. While it wasn't exactly something that they did every weekend, it was always a nice way for the two of them to relax and enjoy each other's presence.

However, things were being done a little bit different tonight. Normally it was Nick who had the responsibility of renting whatever movie it was that he decided they were seeing, but instead the role had been reversed. Alternatively, Judy was the one who was picking out the film, and that seemed to give a partial amount of concern.

"Alrighty, Carrots," the fox said, plopping down on the couch with a big bowl of hot, freshly-popped popcorn in his paws. "Time to see what you got for us to watch. And it better be something interesting and not one of those sappy comedies that you're always wanting to see."

"You don't gotta worry about that," Judy replied, waving the small case that contained the rented DVD in her paw. "I'm certain that I've made a good selection for tonight."

"We shall see about that, Fluff," Nick replied, getting more relaxed as Judy walked over to the DVD player and popped the disc inside of it without even letting him see what film it was.

The doe ran on back to the couch, took her seat and nestled herself beside the vulpine as some of the previews for upcoming films started to play on the screen. As the trailers carried on, Nick turned his head over to Judy.

"So," he said. "What movie exactly did you pick for us tonight? You never said which one it was."

"It's... a surprise," Judy replied with a sly smile. She knew quite well that Nick wasn't exactly going to like hearing those words; he absolutely disliked it whenever things came to him as a surprise.

The vulpine huffed as he stretched his neck. "C'mon, Carrots," he whined. "Can't even spare me a _single_ hint about what it could be?"

"If I told you it wouldn't be that much of a surprise anymore. The whole concept of a surprise is that-"

"I know, I know. Can I least take a guess?"

Judy shook her head once again. "Alright," she said. "I'll give you three guesses, but make 'em count."

Nick started to go into a deep state of pondering, completing ignoring the television as it continuously played the trailers. "Let's see..." he muttered. When he got an idea of what it could be, his eyes lit up enthusiastically. "Oooh, I know what it is! Is it the new Wreck-It Rhino movie? You know, the one where he's supposed to go into the internet or something?"

The rabbit started to snicker at Nick getting hyped up. "Sorry, Slick," she said. "That's not it, but you still got two guesses."

"Is it that one with the platypus who works for that secret agency?"

"Why would you guess _that_ one out of all things?" Judy laughed. "Okay, you better make this guess count 'cause you only got one more chance."

"How about the-"

"Sorry, Nick," Judy interrupted. "Looks like the movie's starting up now. Guessing time is up."

The fox grunted. "Dang it!"

She giggled as she turned her head, noticing the television screen had changed. "You're just gonna have to see what it is for yourself."

The previews were officially over, and the very first scenes of the movie were being displayed as the opening credits popped up on the screen. Judy grabbed the remote and turned the volume up, not too noisy but loud for the sound to circulate around where they were seated. As the movie played, the television displayed scenes of a full moon against a pitch black sky. After that, the screen faded to tall grasses that swayed in the wind, gently illuminated with the flickering glow of fireflies. The ambient sound of crickets chirping into the night completing all of the vivid and exquisite scenery.

Nick ended up rolling his eyes when the title of the movie came up on the screen that was depicting the nighttime scenery. " _Moonlight Howl?_ " the vulpine inquired. "I thought you said this wasn't gonna be sappy."

"No," Judy informed, "you asked if it was gonna be a sappy comedy. And this isn't so technically I'm not lying."

"Then what exactly do you call this, Fluff?"

"A sappy _romance_. You technically didn't make any remarks against that, so _that's_ what were gonna see."

Nick nodded his head, taking in what felt like a verbal slap to the face from Judy. He could almost hear the echoes of the sly bunny muttering "It's called a hustle, sweetheart" out of mockery within his head.

"Touché," the vulpine admitted.

"Alright, Slick," Judy replied. "Let's get started."

The fox and rabbit sat silent for the next forty minutes or so, staying close together as they watched the romantic relationship between the movie's two wolf characters unfold. The type of movie they were watching wasn't exactly Nick's favorite among others, but Judy seemed to be enjoying the film so that was all that really mattered to him. No matter how ridiculous, the fox wanted to make sure he did anything that his bunny wanted to do with him.

Judy took a few pieces of popcorn out of the bowl that getting close to being empty, and Nick stuck his paw in shortly after to clean up whatever was left of the salty snack. He continued to look at the screen, although he knew quite well in his head where the rest of the film was more than likely to lead to.

"Let me guess," the fox murmured. "He's taking her to this very picturesque landscape where he proposes to her. And _then_ -"

"Shhh!"

The hesitant wolf in the movie soon enough revealed a small box with a silver ring inside. "Will you marry me?" the character on the television asked.

Nick nodded his head as he grinned. "See, Carrots? I called it! I swear I could've wrote-"

"Nick, hush!" the doe interrupted, placing a paw by Nick's muzzle with her eyes still fixated on the screen. As overly sentimental as this particular portion of the movie, Judy still couldn't help but smile at how sweet it was. With a proposal that was set against a beautiful landscape like this particular one, what more could a mammal ask for from a movie like this?

"Just sayin'," Nick murmured under his breath.

Some time (a little bit longer than an hour) had passed, and Nick now surprisingly found himself fully submerged into the beautiful relationship that the film was portraying. As much as he didn't want to admit in front of Judy (at fear he would get the typical "Told you so" from her in reply), he was _actually_ enjoying it now that the film was progressing forward.

However, as the film reached its final minutes of run time, things between the two characters started to take a turn for the worse. The female wolf in the film breathed a monologue of her last words before giving up the ghost.

Judy had some tears running down her eyes, of which she immediately wiped away. The credits started to roll down the screen, and with that Judy grabbed the remote and shut the movie off. "Okay," she exhaled, her voice partially choked up. "So what did you think of-"

Turning her head towards her companion, the doe noticed that the vulpine appeared to be sniveling beside her.

Nick was basically kicking himself. Upon realizing that Judy saw his surprisingly emotion reaction, he felt more than embarrassed that he was blubbering at a movie as cliché as the one he had just sat through.

As the emotional fox beside her wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her, the doe made a quick observation in her head: _Make sure you pick something a little less sad when it's your turn to pick the movie again. Perhaps that new Wreck-It Rhino that Nick was just talking about will suffice._


	24. How Geeky!

The Zootopia Convention Center, located just outside of the heart of Savannah Central, was basically full to the brim with mammals of all ages, shapes and sizes. The event that was currently taking over the building, as well as some of the area that surrounded it, was an entertainment and comic convention that came annually to the city.

Inside the building was an array of various booths and spectacles, enough to make any comic-book loving mammal more than happy. A number of tables and establishments occupied just about every corner, ranging from simple stands that sold souvenirs to those that had some notable mammals giving out autographs to lucky fans. A fair number of mammals could additionally be seen walking around in a variety of different outfits and costumes resembling superheroes, villains, and other characters from recognizable movies or shows on television.

Walking away from a nearby table and back into the bustling crowds, Nick and Judy strolled down to the spot in the building where most things were taking place.

While this type of event wasn't exactly the kind of thing that struck Judy's fancy, she couldn't reject her fox companion's pleads to head over and just check things out. She considered herself to be a small fan of heroes and the like, but apparently not as big of a fan as Nick was. The doe couldn't help herself but uncontrollably grin at the way that the vulpine beside her had been reacting to all of the fun activities taking place.

"I'm just sayin', Carrots," Nick remarked as he and his partner stopped near a large window to take a break from all of the action. "If we would've signed up for that I'm pretty sure we would've won that thing."

The rabbit giggled, rolled her eyes, and tapped the fox on the shoulder. "No, Nick," Judy murmured. "If we entered that costume contest, I'm pretty sure we would've looked _ridiculous_ up there. Besides, we don't even _own_ any outfits."

"I know," the vulpine replied. "I was just thinkin' out loud for a second there, Fluff. Besides, I'm more than certain that you would've looked great as Wonder Rabbit."

"Nick!"

The doe snickered and started to blush a bit; the concept of her donning the heroic outfit and the shield of the character just seemed a bit foolish in her imagination.

"Never really thought that I'd see you as the geeky type, Slick," Judy remarked playfully after a brief pause in their conversation.

"Hey, don't judge," Nick replied. "When I was able to get my paws on 'em, I loved reading comics when I was young. It was a cheap way to keep a kit happy and entertained. Guess you could say I've never really grown out of that love for 'em, hence my enthusiasm."

Judy nodded her head, glimpsing out the window at the traffic-filled streets from afar. When she turned her head back around, she looked over at Nick before something walking over managed to catch her attention.

A raccoon casually strolled by some of the stands, cloaked with an orange uniform with touches of black on it. In his paws, the raccoon carried a prop that resembled a gadget out of some sort of science fiction movie.

The doe's eyes glowed upon seeing the mammal, who happened to be dressed in the likeness of a very notable character that she recognized. With that, she ended up getting excited for a short moment before tugging at Nick's side. "Hey, I know him!" she exclaimed. "Nick, come over here and take my picture with him!"

Nick chuckled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his iPaw. " _Now_ who's the geeky one?" he muttered to Judy.

Judy quickly ran up to the raccoon that was dressed as "Rocket," smiling widely for the camera as Nick managed to get a few pictures that came out good.

"Alrighty," Nick breathed as his bunny walked back over to his side. "Now that you got your picture with a hero, where do we go next?"

"I dunno," Judy replied, all smiles as she looked around for somewhere that they didn't head over to yet. She pointed over to somewhere on the far right side of the space. "We haven't been over there yet, let's go check some of that stuff out and then we'll wrap things up."

"Whatever you say, my geeky bunny."

* * *

 **Author's Note: I'd be lying if I didn't say that my own superhero-loving personality didn't inspire me to write this silly little story I'm sharing with you today. Curse my geekiness for what I just wrote! XD**

 **Anywho, hope you enjoyed this one. I know it's a little bit different and sillier than the rest of my other stories here, but it just came to my mind real quick and I had to just type it out. I don't know why but I imagined that Nick would perhaps be the type to enjoy comics and the like when he was growing up.**

 **As always, let me know your thoughts. Feedback, good and bad, is always gladly appreciated.**

 **See you next time, everyone! :D**


	25. Rush Hour

To say that the roads were busy at the moment would have been quite the understatement.

Cars and trucks of all different sizes and colors sat motionless, snaking their way up the streets of Zootopia that seemed to go on forever. It was practically four lanes of idleness, the occasional honk sounding off from a vehicle that was probably in a hurry to get wherever they needed to be.

Sitting at the driver seat, Judy sighed heavily. She and Nick both had plans regarding where they were going at this particular time of day, and they would have to be postponed if they didn't find a way out of the miniature portion of hell known as rush-hour traffic.

Traffic would creep forward slowly, but end up standing still in just a few short seconds. Nick placed a paw against the glass of his passenger seat window. Although he was a mammal who lived by a personal philosophy of not letting things get to him, the fox was pretty sure that anybody would be feeling a slight amount of irritation if placed under these circumstances.

"Dang," he breathed despondently, looking away from the window and over to Judy. "Hate this traffic."

"Hating it isn't gonna make it go any faster, Slick," Judy replied.

The doe at the driver's seat placed a paw over the radio, turning the knob so the volume would be a little louder. Perhaps putting on some of the most recent hit tunes in Zootopia would bring some ease. However, the song that was just playing when she turned the radio up came to a close, replacing it with another tune that Judy had already heard about a million times before.

"Didn't they already play this?" she asked out loud.

As she reached for the knob that changed the station, Nick placed a paw on the button that made the radio perform a scan. The signal started to change, and with that the radio went through just about every genre that it could play.

It started with a station that provided hip-hop with a hypnotizing beat, replacing a few moments later with a groovy tune that the two of them were unfamiliar with. A few shifts in genre later, the radio landed on a channel that didn't exactly bring any enjoyment to Judy. Her ears drooped upon hearing an assault of electric guitar riffs and the fierce hitting of drums, complete with loud vocals that rattled from a screaming vocalist. Nick, being the uncontrollable jokester that he was, moved his paws around as he pretended that he was shredding on the electric guitar that was being played to the song. The radio changed again, and finally Judy came across a station that was playing something pleasant to her ears.

"Again, whose idea was it to leave _during_ rush hour?" Nick nagged.

"That was _your_ bright idea, Nick," Judy replied, bringing the vulpine down to earth. "I said the traffic was gonna be bad, but you said that it was gonna be alright and that we needed to just wait to go until now."

The vulpine shrugged his shoulders. "They outta change the phrase 'rush hour' to somethin' else. I mean, why would you use the word 'rush' to describe a time where _nothing moves_?" He noticed no response coming from the doe on the other side of him; she was obviously not enthused by his witty remark at the current moment. The fox paused for a short while, right before an idea suddenly came to mind. "Ya up for a joke, Fluff?"

The doe rolled her eyes and chuckled under her breath, her eyes still fixated on the busy roads in front of her and her paws gripping the steering wheel.

Nick looked at her quizzically. "What's wrong with jokes? Don't they always say that laughter is the best medicine?"

"Not when _you're_ telling the jokes, Slick. Whenever you roll out the puns, nine out of ten times they end up being pretty cheesy."

"You wound me, Carrots. I'll have you know that, as a fox, I am an _expert_ in clever jokes."

"Oh, yeah? Then get right ahead and tell me your 'clever' joke."

"Alright, Fluff. Just don't be _too_ surprised when I knock you off your paws with laughter."

"I'll try to contain my enthusiasm."

"Okay," Nick began, quickly thinking of a good pun in his head that he thought was certain to get his companion to laugh. "What did the mother buffalo say to her child when he left for the academy?"

Judy thought about a quick moment, hoping to surprise Nick at knowing where the joke would lead before he even threw the punch line at her. "I don't know, Nick," she admitted after a short pause. "What _did_ she say to him?"

"Bison!"

There was an awkward delay in between when Nick finished the joke and when Judy's brain fully understood the pun. Once her brain got the joke, Judy went into a round of snickering that soon enough broke out into a pure fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"Score one for the sly fox," Nick remarked in between the innocent, twinkling sound of Judy's heartfelt laughter.

"Alright, I'll admit that was a pretty good one," Judy said, blinking away a tear out of her eye that came to her from chuckling so hard.

"Yeah," the vulpine replied. "Just don't go spreading that one around when we get back to work, Carrots. Chief Buffalo Butt would probably be on our tails about that if he heard us repeating that one around the ZPD. With it being a buffalo joke and all."

Judy smirked, took a quick look at her partner, and turned her attention back to the cars that were in front of her. Within those few brief moments of conversation between the two of them, traffic slowly started to get back into motion. It was still very much delayed, but the fox and rabbit were both grateful just to move forward, even if the distance they proceeded was quite minimal.

As the car unhurriedly went forward before braking again, Nick put his window down to feel the nice weather outside and peaked his head out slightly. A smile creeping forward, the vulpine looked at a very particular building that was currently within view. The establishment, which seemed to be busy with a fair amount of customers at the moment, was none other than Jumbeaux's Café.

The doe happened to turn her head to the other side, looking at the café that was the fox was looking out at. Seeing the building and thinking back to the first time she was there, Judy couldn't help but smile. After all, it was there that she stumbled upon the sly, cunning Nicholas Wilde for the very first time.

"It feels just like yesterday that I stepped into that shop," the doe murmured. "You know, when I first saw you in line there and bought you that Jumbo Pop."

"Yeah," Nick replied. "Guess you could say that's how it all started for us."

"How? With the crossing of paths in the most unlikely of places?"

"No, with a Jumbo Pop, of course."

Judy laughed at the vulpine's observations. Then, as if there was a miracle with Nick and Judy's names on it, traffic managed to get less backed up and back to its normal speed once again. After getting out of the specific area where things were being held up, the fox and rabbit smiled as they proceeded down the road and took a turn in and order to get to their destination.

"Hallelujah!" Nick loudly proclaimed. With that, the fox exhaled heavily and jokingly imitated the act of fainting back in his seat, a paw brushing over his eyes with a ridiculous amount of bravado.

Judy shook her head at the vulpine's dramatic little display of enthusiasm. "Gosh, you're such a drama king," she muttered.

After an exchange of pleasant smiles to each other, the car drove on as the two of them made their way down the streets of the city.


	26. Tennis

The sound of absolute silence resonated across the small park outside of the city, and the afternoon sunshine bathed the area with a fair amount of light. In one particular spot in the park was a fairly-sized tennis court, being occupied by no more than two mammals.

Occupying one side of the paved court, Nick walked a few steps up with a tennis ball in one paw and his racquet in the other. The fox was currently winning the friendly little tennis match he was having with his partner, and that seemed to make him happy in a way. After all, it was the vulpine's companion that always seemed to beat him at tennis.

"Match point, Carrots," he remarked, his attention fixated at his bunny who was on the opposite side of the tennis court.

The two of them managed to have tied scores, and this would be the moment in which one of them would break said tie and be the winner of the match. A smirk on the vulpine's muzzle gave off the undeniable and unmistakable impression that he already believed he would win.

"You ready?" Nick asked.

Judy adjusted the white sun visor she was wearing and gripped onto her racquet. Her tail twitched as she waited for Nick to serve, a competitive expression on her muzzle. "Oh, yeah. Ready."

"Alrighty, here it comes," Nick replied.

With that, the vulpine threw the tennis ball up into the air slightly before hitting it with his racquet with much force. On the other side of the space, Judy backed up a few paces as the ball came flying through the air. With a powerful swing, she sent it back to Nick's side of the tennis court.

The fox ran a few paces to the right, following the direction of the ball that seemed to swerve in direction. The ball soon enough came back to Judy, who started to run swiftly to the left in the direction of it. With a grunt, she swung it back to Nick. The vulpine swung his racquet, slightly flinching at how fast the ball was approaching him. However, his racquet ended up swinging at nothing but the air; Judy broke their tie and was now the winner.

As Nick paused a moment to catch a breath after all of the running he did, he caught sight of his companion celebrating her beating him once again at tennis. Judy whooped with delight, her gray paw making a fist that she gleefully pumped in the air.

"Is there a hole in that racquet of yours, Nick?" she said jokingly to the fox.

"Very funny," Nick huffed.

The vulpine shook his head as he walked over to a bench a few paces away, quenching his thirst with the bottled water he brought along with him. As he continued to take a few seconds and sit down for a moment, Judy walked over and sat on the opposite side of the bench alongside him.

"Whew," the doe said, taking a quick sip from her bottle of water before looking over at the fox beside her. "Good match, Slick."

"Yeah," Nick breathed. "It's a good match 'cause _you_ won, Carrots."

"Naturally," Judy replied, grinning widely.

"You never told me how you managed to get so good at tennis, Fluff. I mean, is their any other skills or talents of yours that I don't know about, hmm?"

The doe smiled, leaning her head back with a slight chuckle. "What can I say, Slick? I'm a rabbit with many talents."

"Seriously, though. Where'd you learn to play tennis so well?"

"You can thank one of my brothers for that. He enjoyed got his own tennis racquet one year as a Christmas gift, and he started practicing at this tiny little park we had nearby. The place wasn't much to talk about, but it served as a good spot for him to practice his swing and such. Soon enough, he started teaching me a couple things about playing tennis as well."

The vulpine nodded his head, paying his complete attention to the rabbit's little anecdote. "Remind me next time we go to Bunnyburrow to ask your brother for a couple pointers, will ya?"

Judy started to laugh again. Sending a nudge to her companion's shoulder, she remarked, "I dunno. It'd probably take more than a couple of lessons to help fix that swing of yours."

The fox snickered as the words hit him. "That wounded me. Besides, my terrible swing isn't _that_ bad if it managed to beat you at the last match we had here awhile back."

"That was 'cause I _let you_ win that time, Nick."

"No, I'm _pretty_ sure that I won that time fair and square."

The doe huffed and shook her head, going along with the fox who seemed to be in denial. Her racquet in paw, she got up from the bench and gestured for Nick to get up as well. "Ya up for another quick game? We still got some time."

"All right," Nick murmured, getting up and walking over to his side of the court as he bounced to the tennis ball in his one paw. "Wanna bet that I win this round?"

"Seriously, Slick? You're making wagers for a tennis match?"

"Hey, sometimes a good bet makes you play a little bit better. Let's out the competitive attitude a little more, if you know what I mean."

"Whatever you say, you dumb fox."

"Okay, so what'll be the wager?"

The rabbit pondered for a moment. "If you win," she started, "then I take you to that restaurant you've been dying to check out across town, my treat."

The fox's tail wagged at the idea of what he would receive if he won, but then he cocked his head after thinking about it for a few seconds. "So what's the catch?" he pondered. "What happens I _don't_ win? I'm a little apprehensive about finding out what misfortune you got planned out in that sly mind of yours."

Nick had reason to have a sense of apprehension at accepting a bet that was of Judy's proposal. After all, every single time that he happened to lose one of those bets, the consequences more than often resulted in the vulpine doing something that he defined as embarrassing or unfortunate. There was no doubt in his mind that Judy, who looked him in the eye on the other side of the tennis court, had something up her sleeve.

Judy put on a sneaky grin. "Just don't lose," she said, "and then you don't gotta worry about a thing."

"Okay," Nick replied, his voice hesitant. "Here goes nothin', Carrots."

The ball was served, and the new tennis game between the fox and rabbit fully commenced.


	27. Meditation

Judy let out a sigh as she knocked on the door. After a long day of solving another difficult case and finishing up other work, the doe naturally made her way over to her companion's place. Although she expected Nick's voice to immediately respond to her knock, no answer came. _Is he not home?_ She knocked on the door one more time.

"It's open," Nick called from inside of the apartment, his voice in a very serene tone.

Judy let herself in and casually shut the door behind her. Nick was seated right in the middle of the living room floor. The vulpine had his eyes closed as he slowly breathed in and out. He seemed to be sitting there idly with his paws crossed.

"Nick?" the doe said.

Exhaling as he put on a smile, the vulpine in front of her opened up his eyes and piqued his head up. "Namaste, Carrots," he remarked.

This caused the doe to start chuckling. After all, her fox doing meditation was the last thing she expected to immediately see upon stepping inside.

"Nick, what are you doing?" Judy inquired, still gently giggling at whatever the fox was up to now.

"Thought I'd do some meditating, Fluff," Nick replied. Once again, the vulpine deeply inhaled through his nose and slowly exhaled through his mouth. "It's supposed to calm your mind and bring you into a state of complete relaxation, you know?"

"Well aren't _you_ the guru, Slick."

"I knew a guy—a red panda, if I remember clearly—that used to teach meditation and stuff like that. He was always goin' on about 'inner peace' and the power of yoga, too. Gosh, even his _presence_ alone just made you all calm and peaceful whenever he started talkin' to you."

"Of course you knew someone like that," she replied. "You know everybody."

The scent of a nearby candle that had been lit hit Judy's nostrils, making her smile at its pleasing aroma. "You even gotta candle lit and everything?" she said. The doe got another whiff of whatever scent the candle was a representation of; it was sweet and undoubtedly pleasant to the senses. "Is that… vanilla?"

"Yeah," Nick replied, shrugging his shoulders and stretching his legs. "I don't really have a lot of candles on hand—just this one a few others, so I just went with this." He inhaled through his nose and took in the decadent scent of the vanilla candle, reminiscent to the scents of fresh baked goods and Christmas time. "Anything's gotta smell better than that autumn stuff, though."

"Hey," Judy muttered, " _I_ happen to think the scent of pumpkin spice is really nice."

Nick shook his head. "Not when it's overused, Carrots. I swear, last autumn it felt like it was blanketing the whole place whenever I walked through the door."

"To each his own, I guess," the doe replied, shrugging her shoulders. Changing the subject slightly, she added, "I'm a tad surprised that you don't have some kind of blueberry scented candle."

Nick nodded his head. "Making mental note of that idea for next time," he said.

The vulpine moved a little bit to the left, leaving enough free space on the spot on the floor for Judy to sit beside him. "Come on," he persuaded. "You've had a long day at work, why don't you sit down and meditate with me."

The doe didn't even think twice about it, walking over to the mat and plopping down on it a few inches away from the fox. "Sure," she said under her breath.

Judy crossed her legs and got herself into the same posture that Nick had been in. After gazing at each other for a quick moment, the two sat silently as they meditated. The unbreakable state of peacefulness and relaxation encompassing the living room and the walls that surrounded it.


	28. Practical Jokes

As he reclined and got even more relaxed on his side of the couch, Nick felt his eyes slowly starting to close. The movie playing blurred out of his vision, and the voices coming from the characters being depicted on the television started to slightly fade away. Right when he was about to feel like drifting off into a small nap, the vulpine felt a sudden, hard nudge to his shoulder.

The fox whimpered and rubbed a paw over the area that had just been nudged, and Judy, who was seated only a few inches away from him, looked over at him and shook her head.

"Seriously, Nick?" she said. "I swear, that's gotta be the third time you almost dozed off during this movie. And it's not even that long, either."

"Sorry, Carrots," he replied, starting to let out a loud yawn. "The movie's kind of a snooze-fest, if ya ask me. I don't even get what's happenin' right now."

"That's 'cause you were supposed to pay attention. Besides, _you_ were the one that decided that we should rent this one. I told you it wasn't gonna be that good, but you suggested otherwise."

"Yeah, I know, Fluff. But I seriously thought this one was gonna be exciting. Guess that's the cost of a rental that I'm never gonna get back."

The doe shook her head again, a paw on the TV remote as she turned the volume down a little bit. "I knew we should've just went to go see Captain Mammal instead."

They watched the rest of the movie for its remaining fifteen minutes of run time. What had been playing on the television was a very elaborate sci-fi, one that seem to have too many details to it to keep Nick's undivided attention.

When the film ended, leaving it open with an unanticipated cliffhanger (one in which Nick seemed to be less than shocked about), Judy shut the show off before the credits started to roll out onto the screen. Nick yawned again as he stretched, leaning his head back and getting even cozier than he already was.

"I'mma clean this up here," Judy said, hopping from her seat and cleaning up some of the stuff lying around, as well as the two empty snack bowls that they previously ate from as they watched the show.

"Oh, and I left my iPaw in the other room," Nick remarked. "Ya mind grabbing that for me?"

"Not a problem," the doe replied.

As Judy walked away, the fox couldn't help but grin in the most conniving fashion. Just as he originally planned, his leporine companion was about to run into the small but plausible practical joke that he had already prepared for. Judy didn't suspect anything at all, so it was quite likely that she was about to run into. What he had in store for her was nothing major, nor was it what he saw on those TV shows where the kits play pranks on ordinary, unsuspecting mammals. It was, however, something he felt certain in his mind would a small reaction out of Judy.

The fox simply sat there as the doe walked over to the kitchen, disposed of some of the trash they had accumulated, and walked back over a few paces to the dining room table in the next corner. Judy went over to grab her partner's iPaw, and with that the vulpine anticipated the response to his practical joke. _Wait for it…_ his mind said. If there was was an angel and devil version of himself resting on both of his shoulders, it was without a doubt that the devil on this right was winning.

A sudden shout arose from the dining room area, and Judy seemed to jolt back a few paces with Nick's phone in her paw. She had went a state of being startled, but immediately sighed after she calmed her mind down a few seconds later. The doe walked back over to the table, and then went over to Nick with a serious look on her muzzle. This wasn't the only time this week that the fox had decided to pull another of his innocent shenanigans, and it was starting to get a tad annoying to Judy.

The rabbit tapped a paw on the floor, her arms crossed as she looked at her prankster partner with no sign of amusement. Nick shook his head, no longer able to control enthusiasm as he went into an unbreakable state of laughter.

Judy set the fox's phone down on the coffee table beside her, and then revealed what was in her other paw. What she held in her grasp was none other than what Nick used to prank her. It was a plastic black spider toy that was little bit larger than her paw. The prop looked like it was cheaply put together, but somehow it managed to give her a small fright. _But who wouldn't have jumped a little bit upon seeing that thing on their table?_ a part of her mind suggested.

"You mind explaining this, Nick?" the doe muttered with seriousness, dangling the spider toy in front of the vulpine as she interrogated him.

Nick didn't seem to respond at first, and ended up snickering again.

"It's not funny!" Judy snapped.

"Okay," the vulpine sitting in front of her said, his laughter coming to a halt. "I'm sorry, Carrots, but the way you jumped was pretty priceless, if I do say so myself."

 _Yeah, Nick,_ Judy's mind murmured. _But don't act like you wouldn't have done the same thing if that were you seeing that spider. If anything, you would've been more dramatic than I was._

"I mean, you managed to get with one of the oldest tricks in the book out of all things," the doe replied.

The vulpine grinned. "You know why the old tricks in the book still exist? It's 'cause they work, Fluff."

The doe grunted heavily at the fox's mocking rhetoric.

"Hey, I was just kiddin' around with ya," Nick said. "No ill intentions. Was just a little early April Fools' joke I decided to do."

"Well try pranking someone else," Judy suggested.

The doe swiftly walked to another spot int the room, heading over a small unoccupied chair to the left and went to sit down upon it unsuspectingly.

Nick's eyes widened, realizing that he had another booby trap planned out in that spot that he had completely forgot about. _This bunny's gonna kill me,_ he thought.

The vulpine held a paw out, trying to get Judy's attention. "Carrots, don't sit there, I-"

 _Pffft!_

A sound erupted from the seat of the chair, giving the doe who was sitting upon it a sense of surprise. Nick shook his head as Judy pulled a well-placed whoopie cushion from underneath the seat.

"Yeah, about that…" Nick said. "That was placed there 'cause I thought it'd be funny, too. Guess I completely forgot about that after I set up the whole spider thing."

The rabbit's ears drooped and she placed a paw over her face. "Only _you_ would have a whoopie cushion laying around in the house," she remarked, feeling annoyed.

"Look, I'm sorry about the pranks, Fluff. You just gotta know, I was laughing _with_ you and _not_ at you."

" _I_ understand, Slick," Judy replied, going deadpan.

As much as she didn't want to tap into the childish antics of pulling practical jokes, the doe started thinking up a few ideas on what kind of prank she could try to pull on Nick. It was basic knowledge that he was still pretty sly when it came to those thins, so she had to make sure she had an idea that he wouldn't see coming. It was always her that was the receiver of the practical joke, after all, and she wanted to, alternatively, see Nick's response when she eventually managed to trick him.

She first proposed trying to fool him with one of scary videos she knew about on EweTube, but she dismissed that plan at the thought that he would probably see right through the trick before she could even manage to scare him. A few other simplistic ideas started popping into her head, but all of them didn't seem to make the cut. It was shortly after a few rejected plans did she come up with something that would hopefully work on the fox.

 _Just you wait, Wilde,_ she thought. _Not today. Not tomorrow. But one of these days I'm gonna get you with something._

* * *

 _ **One Week Later...**_

"Oh my gosh!" Judy exclaimed, her voice coming from behind another doorway.

Nick ended up smirking once again; another prank had been successfully pulled.

 _Bang! Crash!_

The abrupt sounds of stuff falling down came from where Judy was located, making the vulpine's eyes widen with shock. _Wait,_ he thought. _That wasn't supposed to happen at all._

Nick immediately jumped up from the couch and ran over to the other room. "Carrots!" he exclaimed. "Carrots, are you okay?"

The fox was completely unaware of what the rabbit had done. Judy knew that Nick was going to pull a prank on her based on her observations, so she intentionally made it seem like she fell for it. The crashing noises of miscellaneous objects hitting the floor was doe's own doing; she did that intentionally, too, completely in an effort to make things even more dramatic. Just as she had planned, the vulpine was falling for it.

"Oh no," Nick murmured upon walking into the other room.

Judy laid flat on the ground, her left paw brushed over her eye and the other paw behind her back. Her eyes seem to stay shut, causing Nick to get worried. _Have I gone too far with this whole pranking thing?_

The rabbit stayed still, but was trying so hard not to move so she didn't spoil the prank that she was currently pulling on her partner.

"Judy," the vulpine said under his breath, getting down on his knees. "I'm so, so sorry. This wasn't meant to happen. You weren't supposed to get hurt." He paused as he cleared his throat. "I promise, Carrots, I'm never gonna pull anymore pranks ever again."

No response seemed to come from the rabbit, who still remained completely silent.

"J-Judy?"

A small noise peeped within the room, sounding like a tape recorder put on rewind. Or, more accurately, a _carrot pen_ being put on rewind.

" _I'm never gonna pull anymore pranks ever again._ " The repeating of the vulpine's promising voice came from right beside Judy.

Nick cocked his head with confusion, unsure of what to think at the moment. "C-Car-"

"GAH!" Judy screeched, jumping up and startling Nick.

"Aaah!" Nick exclaimed, his ears pointing down and a paw placed over his chest.

Judy started to giggle as she arose from where she was laying on the floor and got back up on her paws. Nick stood motionless with his back against the door, still trying to wrap his head around things.

"What the he-" the fox started.

"Oh, Nick," Judy laughed. "I can't believe you fell for that so easily; there was a side of me that wasn't sure if this was gonna work or not. I mean, you should've seen your face when I jumped up like that and scared you."

"Har har, very funny, Fluff."

"Also, did I hear a certain fox make a promise to give up on his pranking ways?"

Nick shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. I said no such thing"

"Actually, you kinda did, Slick. Here, have a listen…"

Judy pressed the rewind button on the carrot pen once more and let the recording play one more time. " _I'm never gonna pull anymore pranks ever again,_ " the recorded words repeated.

"Okay," Nick said with a loud sigh. "That was because I thought something was wrong. Now give me the pen." He extended a paw out and tried to grab the carrot pen out of Judy's grasp, but she quickly moved it away before he could swipe at it.

"You just trying to steal the pen?" Judy mocked, taunting the vulpine with words that he had used on one occasion between the two of them. "Huh? Is that what this is?"

"Alright, you win, Carrots," the fox finally declared. The self-proclaimed "expert of pranking" had officially been overthrown by a certain sly bunny beside him.

 _My work here is done,_ Judy thought with a smirk.

* * *

 **Author's Note: And _that,_** **ladies and** **gentlemammals, is what happens when a certain fox and bunny get serious about practical jokes! XD**

 **Was originally going to save this for April Fools' Day, as that would have been a more fitting time for a story like this, but couldn't resist sharing it now. I know this was probably stupid, but I had a good time writing it.**

 **And, as always, let me know your thoughts. Your thoughts, good and bad, are always gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time, everyone! :D**


	29. Sled Riding

The sounds of paws crunching loudly over thick snow sounded across the horizon, and with it the two figures continued to make their way up to the top of the hill. Almost getting to the spot of where they needed to be, Nick and Judy trekked onward.

"I'm telling you, Slick," Judy said, continuing on her persuasions to the fox. "We should've went and just tried out that steeper path back there when we had the chance. I've always wanted to try out snowboarding, and that spot that we passed up looked pretty fun to me."

"Our definitions of what looks fun are a little bit different _,_ " Nick replied, breathing steadier as he continued to climb. "'Cause what you said looked fun looked pretty _dangerous_ to me. Call me what you may, but that hill back there just looked _way_ too tall and steep for my tastes."

"C'mon, Nick. What happened to your sense of adventure?"

"I still got it, but it just wasn't applicable in this case. Besides, my tail was tingling when were nearing that path before passing it up."

The bunny giggled. "And what the heck does that mean?"

"Whenever the tail tingles, it means that it's probably unsafe. It's a survival skill us foxes have adapted over time."

"I have never heard of such a thing." _And it's because he's probably making that up,_ she additionally thought to herself.

"Consider that one of the first lessons in Survival Skills 101, Nick Wilde Edition."

Within a few moments, the doe and her companion made it to the very top of the fairly-sized hill. For a brief moment, the two stared back at the spot they had just walked up to. While it wasn't as steep as the paths that were designated for the others participating in snowboarding or skiing, it looked like a good place for the two of them.

Every little bit of scenery in this area had been kissed with a thick blanket of nothing but pure whiteness, making the atmosphere perfect for any type of snow-related activities. The scattered paw prints from a variety of mammals could be spotted practically all over, the shapes they left in the snow appeared to sink deeply into the ground. A couple of kits and families could be seen sledding down the particular hill. A few of them could be seen with snowboards, too, doing very small tricks across the snow in an attempt to look cool.

Exhaling heavily, Nick set the sled down on the ground as his lungs filled again with the cold air around him. Colored to resemble aged wood and free of any customization whatsoever, the sled looked as if it had been used by others for quite some time now.

"Alrighty, Carrots," Nick said. "All set! You ready to go?"

Extending a paw, Nick held onto the rabbit's grasp as he lead her over to where he had set the sled down. Judy happily stood beside him, a radiant smile written upon her.

For a short moment, she thought back to when she was younger and how unexplainably fun it was whenever there was enough snowfall in some parts of the Tri-Burrows to go sled riding. Her mind's eye started reminiscing of her and her friends sledding down various hills with the widest smiles upon them.

"Geez," she said, her mind coming back to the present moment. "It's been ages since I've went sled riding. This brings back so many good times from when I was younger."

"Well, you're in luck. 'Cause you happen to be in the presence of a fox who that's an expert at finding the best sled riding spots."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, it's among my many admirable qualities."

Judy shook her head at Nick's words. Brushing off some of the light snowfall that got on her bright pink coat, she plopped down onto the sled. Nick followed soon after and positioned himself right behind his leporine companion.

"Going for a new amateur sled-riding record: Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps!" Nick proclaimed loudly, his voice an imitation of a narrator that one would hear commentating a major sporting event.

"Onward, Slick," the doe in front of the vulpine stated, a fist being pumped in the cold air.

With Judy's compelling remark, the vulpine tried to get the small sled in motion. His placed paws onto the freezing snow as he tried to create enough force to propel them forward.

As Judy lounged up against her fox, the sled started to pick up in speed. With the height of the hill and the centrifugal force placed upon them, the fox and rabbit were sent speeding away. It had almost been _too_ much speed, more than what Nick was preparing for.

With widened eyes, the vulpine leaned back as they speedily went ahead. Within their sledding path, unfortunately, was some kind of unidentifiable object that stuck up slightly from the ground. They were going way too fast to somehow steer away to the side and away from what was upon the ground.

A sudden bump came from underneath as the sled swiftly continued in a straight line. However, Nick ended up losing his balance at the bump and fell off the sled sideways and onto the blanket of white that surrounded everything.

Getting up, the vulpine shook his head, dusted the snow off of his clothes, and ran down to meet back up with Judy. It was a good thing that he accidentally fell off when they were only a short distance from the bottom of the hill, or else it would have probably been a little bit of time for him to catch up with the rabbit.

When Nick got back to where the sled had come to its complete stop, the first thing the he saw was the doe chuckling at how he had ridiculously fallen.

"Seriously, Nick?" she said in between gasps of laughter. The doe got herself up from where she was seated and stood back up upon the snow. "The only bump in the path, and you sent the sled in that direction."

"Don't blame me, Carrots," Nick replied. "If anything, we should probably be blaming whatever was sticking out of the ground for screwing our path up."

Judy joked, "What about being the expert at sled rides?"

The fox innocently chuckled. "Yeah," he breathed, "I kinda forgot to mention in there that I've fallen off of many sleds in my time. Even ended up breaking a couple of 'em, too. But it's okay if you make a mistake or two every now and then, right?"

After his remark, Nick ended up being a little too late to detect the flying snowball that came towards him.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I know that spring has already sprung, but this short story involving winter time started to take form in my head and I needed to get it out. I don't know why, but there's just something about the snow and winter and the like that's just so fun to write about. :)**

 **Hope y'all enjoyed this one. It's a little bit short, but I hope I did a good job with this fun little story. and thank you once again to everyone who's been reading and enjoying my work here.**

 **'Til next time!**


	30. Out Shopping

Walking through the doors of a small clothing store, Judy smiled as she clutched her shopping bag and strolled down the paved sidewalk. After taking advantage of the few spectacular deals that the little shop was offering, the doe couldn't help but feel happy.

"Gosh, were those some good deals or what?" she said to herself, looking into her bag once again as she strolled along. "You just can't get a nice outfit like that at Mousy's for as cheap as you did."

After making the trip back over to Bunnyburrow once again, Judy conceived the idea of taking Nick and two of her little brothers out for a pleasant afternoon of shopping. A good drive away from where most the farmland in the Burrows was, the area Judy found herself walking through was a district that was the closest thing one could get to shopping within a city. However, most of the buildings that surrounded her were small businesses (those of which had the friendliest of service and immediately recognized her upon her walking in) and some other historic architecture (the old courthouse being one of the few notable examples).

Stopping ahead, Judy took a seat on a nearby bench that was located next to a large, flowing fountain that had a fair amount of coins thrown into it. Shortly watching the fountain as the warm sunshine beamed down upon her, the doe put on a smile before wondering where Nick and her two little brothers were at.

When she went into the clothing store, as well as two others that were within a radius of less than a few miles, Judy had put in charge of keeping her two little brothers safe and entertained. The doe knew for a fact that her two sibling thought the concept of shopping for clothing and trying different outfits was boring, so she didn't wish to bring any lack on enthusiasm onto them.

Her inquiry was answered shortly after she asked it. In the corner of her eye, Judy could spot none other than Nick and the two little rabbits merrily strolling up the street. From what she could see, her brothers seemed to be carrying ice cream cones consisting of a scoop of what appeared to be some kind of brightly-colored sherbet. The trio of mammals continued to walk froward, stopping temporarily under the shadiness of a tall, flourishing tree that looked like it had been growing in its particular spot for decades.

As the fox and two young rabbits got closer to Judy, she could her their voices becoming clearer. From what the doe could make out of it, the vulpine had been telling the two enthusiastic bunnies another story about a most recent adventurous moment on the police force. Judy's younger siblings always enjoyed it whenever Nick told them about what went on around the ZPD, so the fox always made sure to make note of something interesting to them if it happened.

"So _then_ her and I are end up in pursuit of this suspect _,_ " the fox continued, _"_ and this mammal's tryin' to get away. And this place is already bonkers and packed with visitors to begin with—I mean, it's a giant amusement park, what do you expect it to be like?"

Judy got up from the bench she was sitting on and walked over to join the three. "Hey, guys," she murmured.

The fox kept looking down at the two bunnies, completely disregarding his companion's and continuing on with his police story. "So we're runnin' down thew always, tryin' not to bump into anybody while we went along. Boy, did we end going pretty far."

"Guys?" Judy chimed again, followed by a quiet sigh.

A round of tiny giggles came from the two bunnies as they listened to the fox's tale and savored the rest of the sherbet they still had left. Nick straightened his neck back up, just realizing that his companion had been standing there for an indefinite period of time.

"Oh," the vulpine muttered. "Hey, Carrots. Did you find anything you liked?"

"Yep," Judy replied. "You keeping these two out of trouble?

"Mhmm."

"You sure, Nick? 'Cause those guys have a tendency to wander off on occasion."

"Yes, I'm certain, Fluff. Been keepin' 'em entertained just about the whole time. You're acting like I wouldn't make a responsible guardian."

"So what did you three do while I was having a look around?"

"Went over to this one shop for some sweet treats and I've been telling 'em the story about that case we cracked not too long ago. And we didn't just get _any_ frozen dessert. No, Fluff, this was voted the _best_ sherbet in all of the Tri-Burrows. Well, at least that's what the little sign outside of the shop said."

The doe laughed. "Anybody can market themselves like that, Slick. Remember that terrible cup of coffee we ended up buying at that one café just because the sign advertised that they were the 'World's Best'?"

The fox nodded his head. "Yeah, I remember that. But from the looks of these two, I'd say that advertisement stands true." The vulpine put his head and looked over at the two rabbits. "What do you guys think? Is that sherbet the best in the Burrows or what?"

"Mhmm," one of them replied.

"Delish!" remarked the other, finishing what he still had left of his tasty treat.

Nick grinned and gazed back over at Judy, feeling a bit proud. "There you are, Carrots. It looks like the jury standing beside me has reached a verdict: This here sherbet is guilty of being almost too delicious."

A chorus of laughter arose, coming from Judy and her little brothers. Nick couldn't help but make a little chuckle, too.

"One of these days I outta show these two how to make my famous pawpsicles," the fox said. After a short pause, he added, "The _legit_ way, not the way I used to when I was selling them back then." He turned his attention back to the happy, young buck on his right. "Okay, guys, where do you wanna go now?"

The two bunnies pointed in unison to a vividly-painted building on the other side of the street. What they were pointing to was a fairly-sized shop called "Miss Bella's."

The vulpine cracked a smile. "Well, your wish is my command."

Once everybody crossed the street, they all entered the shop. After they all stepped inside and shut the door quietly behind them, the elderly badger working the front register (who happened to be the "Bella" in which the store was named after) took her reading glasses off and greeted them all with a gentle smile.

"Welcome to Miss Bella's," the badger remarked, as she did whenever any customer would come walking in. "Let me know if y'all need help looking for something in particular, okay?"

Barely any sound stirred within the first portions of the shop, with the exception of the steps made by Nick, Judy and her two brothers.

Everyone had a look around, checking out the selection of different items that the humble shop had out on display. Among a series of shelves was a nice variety of greeting cards, small decorations, holiday ornaments (which were out for purchase despite Christmas being a long time from coming around again), plush toys for children, and a fair amount of fun things that made for interesting birthday gifts.

Almost instinctively, the young bucks went straight down the aisle in front of them and looked at the stuffed toys before making a right down another spot in the shop.

"No running around, you two," Nick informed as the bucks ran off. "Come on, let's go over here and maybe you can pick out something nice for your mom, alright?"

"Okay," a young voice said from around the corner.

They walked around for a good period of time, and both bucks made their selections of what they wanted to get for their mother when they got back home to the family farm. With the birthday of Bonnie Hopps being not so far away, Judy had made the suggestion to her brothers to have a look around as they shopped and see if there was something different that they could buy for her.

Nick turned around to see a young bunny by his side, smiling softly as he held a colorful greeting card and a small craft in his paws. "That's nice," he said. "I'm sure that she'll really enjoy that." The fox turned around to the other side, realizing something wasn't right. "Wait a minute, where's your brother? Where did he run off to?"

 _Crash!_

The sound of something fragile shattering onto the flooring made the fox's ears droop slightly in disappointment. _Oh dear,_ he thought.

The vulpine made his way to another side of the store, finding the brother of Judy's that went roaming around. The buck had his paws behind his back, shifting his feet with his head sagging down with guilt. To the side of him was the object that had been broken, a small fragment of it laying on the ground.

"I didn't do it," the bunny claimed. "It fell as I was walking by."

The fox turned his head over and looked to the badger at the front register. "Ma'am, I am so sorry about that," he apologized.

"You're just lucky that we've got some stuff at home that try and fix that piece that came off of that," Judy remarked, walking over to the vulpine. "Good thing that wasn't expensive either."

"Yeah," Nick huffed.

The fox looked at a sign that was resting above the shelves in front of him. The phrase "You Break It, Honey, You Buy It" typed upon it, an obvious urge to other customer to be careful while browsing through what was easily breakable.

All that Nick could do in that moment was sigh, take out his wallet and make the purchase of both the gifts that were picked out and the item that got broken.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Whew! It has been _awhile_ since I've put out another silly story like this, hasn't it? Oh well, the good thing is that I'm back to working on some of these little snippets. :)**

 **Anyhow, hope you liked this little slice of life I came up with about Nick and Judy out shopping in the Burrows. It's not exactly the best that I could've done, but I hope that y'all enjoyed it anyhow.**

 **'Til next time! :)**


	31. Just One More Episode

Nick took his load off on his side of the couch and stretched his neck with a sigh. A considerably strenuous case had been officially solved by him and his companion, and he was starting to feel a small sense of exhaustion from the work placed into it.

As his bunny walked over and sat beside him, the fox proclaimed, "Boy, am I worn out from that case! Chasing that tiger as far as I did took just about everything I had, if I do say so myself."

Judy turned her head over to Nick's side. "Well I'm pretty sure the folks over at that air cargo service thank you, Nick. You saw how happy that bear Rebecca was knowing that her business was safe and sound again."

The vulpine nodded with a sense of agreement. "Yeah," he murmured.

The doe grabbed the remote that was resting a few inches away from her and turned the television on. A news channel being the first thing that appeared on the screen, reporting the most recent happenings around the metropolis. Judy flicked through a few different channels, not finding anything that seemed to be holding her or her fox's interest.

She changed the channel one more time, landing one of those mid-afternoon shows that tended to discuss the gossip and drama on movie stars and the like. When the topic that the show was converting about shifted to an extremely popular show, Nick was reminded of something that he had in mind for a good bit of time.

"That reminds me!" Nick loudly remarked, startling his bunny just a little bit. "They put the next season of it out, Carrots!"

"What are you talking about?" Judy asked, puzzled.

"Our show, remember?" the fox replied. "We've been waiting almost _too_ long for the rest of it to come out. We can probably stream the whole thing right now and watch the whole season tonight."

Immediately, Nick swiped the remote from Judy's paw and loaded up the one streaming service that they got through their television. Just as the vulpine said, the final season of the show they had been hooked on from the beginning was available for them to watch. The best part being that every episode was available, meaning that they wouldn't have to wait or be stuck on any kind of terrible cliffhanger.

"What do ya say, Fluff?" Nick asked. "Think we can manage to watch this whole season tonight?"

Judy hesitated slightly; when it came to watching a marathon of episodes from one particular show, she wasn't exactly the best. However, the doe nodded her head. With that, Nick grinned and started up the first episode that appeared on the list of what was available to watch.

As the loading screen appeared, the fox's tail started to wag excitedly with anticipation. Judy couldn't resist smirking at how ridiculous his amount of excitement looked.

Once the show started, a cinematic melody of strings started to play in the background. A frigid landscape played, the deep amounts of snow being depicted looked larger than anything Tundratown could ever provide. The fox and rabbit watched the TV attentively as an ocelot character walked onto the screen, fighting the freezing, gusty winds with a paw shielding his face.

* * *

 ** _A Few Episodes Later…_**

"No!" Nick exclaimed. "Come on, right when things are getting intense!" After a brief moment, he picked up the remote and added, "It's a dang good thing we were given the ability to see it all at once. Alrighty, Carrots, it's on to the next one."

Judy seemed to squirm a little in her seat, the long period of lazily sitting down without much movement starting to get to her. Dotting her eyes over to the corner, she could see the sun's luminescence peaking through the closed curtains of the window near them. Although the two of them seemed to lose track of time, the sun definitely seemed to begin its act of setting for the rest of the night.

"How about tomorrow?" the doe suggested, her voice sounding a bit tired.

"And leave it at such a grueling part of the story?" the vulpine asked in reply, not even trying to contain his enthusiasm. "Heck no, Carrots, we gotta _at least_ see how this confrontation goes."

Judy knew better than to disagree. "Okay, but just one more episode for now."

Nick shrugged his shoulders and picked up the remote again. "Fair enough, Fluff," he agreed. "One more episode."

Judy snuggled up even closer than she was to her fox, her head delicately resting upon his shoulder. As the show started where its previous episode left off, the doe gently intertwined her paw with Nick's and gave it a small squeeze.

* * *

 ** _Some Time Later…_**

On the television, a weasel cloaked in medieval attire came onto the screen. The thin mammal being depicted wore a black patch over his left eye, and a sinister grin broke out across his face. In a menacing voice, he snarled, "Surrender to me now, rodent."

A mole wielding a large, shining sword in his paws walked onto the scene, wearing a smile that glimmered with unbreakable confidence. "A wurrior like oi 'll _ne'er_ back down," he snapped back, carrying his words in a very deep accent. "Oi have _yet_ to begin t' foight yur vermin."

When the screen faded to black, Nick sighed and rubbed his eyes. _Why do they always have to leave you like that before the next one?_ he thought.

Needless to say, his promise of only one more episode ended up being broken. Looking around the room, everything was dark around them except for the illumination coming from the TV.

Nick dotted his eyes down to the right of him, looking over at Judy. The doe beside him looked like she was flickered her eyes open after having them closed, looking as if she had been previously straining to keep them fixated on the show. Her head was nestled snuggly against his chest.

The fox rested a paw against the side of his face, bringing his attention back to the show that started to automatically play the next helping of action.

"Should probably get some rest," Nick whispered to himself. After a brief pause, he added, "Nope, _definitely_ need to watch one more."

* * *

 **Author's Note: This one should be relatable for anyone who's ever been hooked on a show so bad that they couldn't stop watching it. I'd be lying if I said that I've never felt that way before! XD**

 **Also, I've placed a few references within this chapter. Could anyone spot them within this story?**

 **Anyhow, let me know what you thought of this. It was kinda written on a whim, so not sure how I did here. Your thoughts, good and bad, are always gladly appreciated.**

 **See you next time! :)**


	32. Sunday Morning Run

The aroma of breakfast foods was the first thing that greeted the fox's nostrils upon waking up and walking out into the room. The sounds of something presumably delectable sizzling in a pan entered his ears as he took a seat at the table. The vulpine, additionally, registered the noise of something popping up from the kitchen toaster.

Nick cocked his head over to the side to see his rabbit pacing around the area of the kitchen, filling two white plates with what she had been busy cooking before he woke up.

"Well, look who it is," Judy greeted with an optimistic tone, looking over at the fox as she continued to working around in the kitchen.

"Good morning," he muttered to his companion, his voice still sounding a tad groggy.

"Morning," the doe replied. "It's 'bout time you woke up, Slick."

"Sorry, Carrots," the vulpine breathed, apologetically. The fox rubbed his paws over his eyes, still readjusting them to the gentle daylight that was merrily peaking in through the windows. "I'm still a little tired," he added with an audible yawn.

A pause filled the room, and Judy continued to plate the food for the two of them. "Anyhow, you're just in time for breakfast. I was afraid you weren't gonna wake up and that I would've had to eat all of this good food all by myself."

Nick laughed under his breath, a gentle, happy smile coalescing.

Once everything had been prepared, Judy casually walked over to the dining room table carrying both of the white plates. The fox beside her couldn't help but lick his lips upon seeing what she kindly made for him on this particular morning.

A plate of hot waffles studded with blueberries sat in front of the vulpine, complete with a few other things. His tail wagged excitedly as he picked up his fork and started to cheerfully dig into the array of breakfast foods.

Looking over at the delighted look on Nick's muzzle, Judy could internally confirm that he was enjoying it all.

His mouth still half-full with the waffles from his plate, the fox remarked, "Blueberry waffles, how do I love thee?"

Judy grinned and then proceeded to eat from what she had cooked for herself. In contrast to what Nick had on his plate, the doe's breakfast currently consisted of just pancakes with a fair amount of rich maple syrup drizzled upon them.

Nick looked over at Judy's plate, swallowing what he still had in his mouth before he continued talking. "Pancakes, huh?" he said.

The bunny nodded her head in response. "Mhmm," she murmured in reply. "That's how it works: The _fox_ gets the waffles, and the _bunny_ gets the pancakes."

Nick couldn't prevent himself from snickering at the rabbit's remark.

"Anyhow," Judy went on, "when our food is all digested, we're gonna be heading out."

"What were we doing?" the fox asked, unsure of what she was pertaining to.

The doe paused a moment. "You seriously don't remember what you promised we were going to start doing?"

"Do I recall making some type of promise? No, no I don't. Please explain, Fluff."

Judy let out a slight sigh. "When I said about getting back on the routine of running, you agreed to joining me. Remember now?"

Nick nodded his head.

"We can't keep making the world a better place if we don't stay our best. 'Cause if you don't stay in shape"—Judy cleared her throat, took a deep breath and loudly put on her best impression of a familiar polar bear from the police academy—"You'll. Be. _Dead_ , Fluff Butt!"

The vulpine dotted his eyes downward, a smirk beginning to take its formation on his muzzle. "Thanks for bringing back _those_ memories," he muttered under his breath. Nick finished the breakfast he still had left and set his fork down upon his empty plate. "Anyhow, where do you think would be a good place to go running?"

After a brief moment of thought, Judy replied, "That park that's near Savannah Central's got some good sidewalks. Maybe that'd be a good running path to start with, since it's pretty nice there most of the time."

Nick reclined his head back. "Sounds good to me," he said. "Whatever you say is what we'll do."

Judy put on a guileful grin, glancing at Nick's eyes. "Guessing we'll start at a pace that's not too fast," she commented. "I don't want you to get winded too easily."

The vulpine huffed at the rhetoric that was thrown at him. " _Winded?_ " he repeated, a paw against his chest. "When was the last time you've seen _this_ fox get winded?"

The doe thought about it for a moment, coming up with a good example. "Not too long ago, actually. It was when that trio of hyenas was sprinting away after that robbery," Judy informed.

"Yeah, but that was different," Nick explained. "Those three ran _pretty_ dang far before I managed to catch 'em. Heaven only knows how far I had to chase them before I could get them in pawcuffs. So yeah, that was different." The fox got up from his seat and pulled his chair in. "Anyway, we'll get ready and head out in a little bit. And I'm _telling_ you, Carrots, I _won't_ get winded easily. You can bet your money on it."

* * *

 _ **Some Time Later...**_

The morning provided Judy with the most ideal conditions for running. The weather conditions were just right, not cold but also not overbearingly hot. The park, in general, was not too busy despite what day of the week it was. As she continued to run down the concrete sidewalks, she continued to catch glimpses of mammals strolling around the area and kits playing together on the perimeters of well-trimmed grass. After a good bit of distance, the overall scenery changed as the path stretched onward. As she went along, she could see some of the city surrounding her.

Judy gradually picked up her running speed just a little bit, breathing steadily as she went along. The upbeat music coming from her earbuds served as a sort of motivation to keep going forward.

For a quick moment, the rabbit cocked her head behind her to see how Nick was doing. The fox, when she looked back, was still in her range of vision but wasn't as close to her as she had previously presumed. Taking out her earbuds, she asked in between breaths, "You okay, Nick?"

The fox wheezed in between his panting, "Please... Slow... Down... Carrots..."

Her running pace started to slow down, and within a few seconds she ended up coming to a halt.

Her vulpine companion eventually came up to where she paused for the moment, panting heavily as he stopped. Bending down slightly with his paws on his legs, he muttered, "Thought you said we weren't gonna start off too fast."

"We weren't," Judy replied.

"You bunnies," the fox gasped in reply. "When it comes to runnin', you just keep going, and going…" He caught a quick breath. "How far have we ran?"

The doe checked the app on her phone that was tracking the distance that she was running. "Just a little more than a mile."

"And how much further did you plan on going?"

"Another one and a half miles and back."

Nick sighed, slowly waddling over to a park bench a few paces away and crashed on to it. "I think I'll just wait right here, Fluff. I'll watch, how's that?"

"Come on, Nick," she said, taking him by the paw and pulling him up from the bench. A sudden idea to give him some much-needed motivation entered her head, and she decided to spill it out. "How about this? If you can keep running with me, I'll treat you to a smoothie at that new shop they opened up downtown. What do you say to that?"

A wag that came from the vulpine's tail was enough of an answer to Judy that he was ready to get back up and try again. Jokingly jogging in place, he stated, "In that case, what are we waitin' for? Let's go!"

With a shake of her head, Judy out her earbuds back in and started to run a few seconds ahead of the fox. Nick joined in and tried to keep a better pace with the rabbit, the two carrying along with their Sunday morning run.


	33. Special

**Author's Note: Today I've got something a little bit different written for y'all today. I was working on some other stories when the idea to write this little thing came about, and I could not wait any longer to type this one out.**

 **All of the stories here so far have been primarily about Nick and Judy, but the thought of writing something out about Jack and Skye was coming to mind. I know that this is** **a little bit on the shorter side, but I hope you like this story anyhow. Forgive me for it not being centered around Nick and Judy this time.**

 **Anyhow, that's enough chit-chat out of me. As always, let me know your thoughts on this one. Feedback is always gladly appreciated.**

 **Enjoy! :)**

* * *

The afternoon was coming to a close when the buck visited the final store that was on his itinerary. Walking back out through the doors of the small shop, the twinkling sound of the shopkeeper's bell rung out above him once again. A red paper bag, as well as two plastic ones from other stores, in his paws, he made his way over to the nearest crosswalk.

The jackrabbit strolled his way down the pathway paved out in front of him, passing up the avenues of notable establishments and restaurants. Coming closer into view were the distant skyscrapers and high-rises, the ubiquitous monoliths of concrete and glass standing gloriously against the sun's piercing gleam.

The buck took a quick moment and looked back at the streets behind him he got down crossing them. He studied the cars that drove down the occupied roads, and looked as some of the far traffic lights flickered from yellow to red. As figures continued to stroll down the sidewalks, he could see two well-recognizable ZPD officers in the corner of his vision. The uniformed pairing of red fox and gray rabbit seemed to be strolling further down the avenue.

After taking a small breath out, his ears ended up registering a faint, humming noise coming from right in front of him. The sound was coming from the phone that he had left in his right pocket.

The leporine saw a bench only a few steps away from where he was standing, and he walked over to it and sat down as he took out his phone. A familiar contact from his list appearing up on his screen. The name " _Skye_ " popped up in plain white letters, and underneath it a small picture of a gorgeous arctic vixen.

His phone's ringtone chimed once, and he immediately answered the call before it could even start to ring again. Getting up from the bench and picking his bags up, he casually said, "Hello?"

"Jack!" an unmistakable voice exclaimed on the other end of the phone.

"Skye," was all the buck could reply at the moment. "How was the-"

"Where the heck are you, Jack?" the arctic fox over the phone interrupted. "You're late for our date. You said you'd meet with me _right_ when I got done closing up."

The jackrabbit paused before responding. " _Fashionably_ late," he said, trying to condone the fact that he really _was_ late for what he had planned. "I'm sorry."

"Where could you possibly be?"

Jack was hesitant for a brief moment, but came up with what to tell Skye next. "It took a little bit longer than I expected, but I just got out of the-" The buck stopped his mouth from spilling anything else out. "I mean, I had an errand that I needed to run."

Even though they were talking over the phone, the vixen on the other end wasn't falling for what the leporine was saying. "Okay, sure," she murmured, totally not believing any of the buck's words. "Anyway, just please don't be too much later. You told me that this date was gonna be a special one this time, and I've been anticipating it practically all day."

"Don't worry, Skye," Jack simply replied, "it'll be a special one. You have my word. I'll see you real soon."

Jack started walking along, ending the call and heading down the sidewalks with his bags still in his grasp.

A beaming, unbreakable grin took formation on Jack's muzzle. Even after the many dates he and Skye had been on (which was many considering the amount of time they had been together), he felt certain in his heart that this one would indeed be the most special one of all.

After all, he had something that he was going to surprise the vixen with on this specific occasion. And it was located safely inside the little red bag he carried. For a quick moment, the buck took a peak inside the paper bag at the purchase he had made.

Inside was what the rabbit believed to be the greatest surprise he could ever give Skye. She would never in a million years predict the sparkly ring that he was going to give her tonight, and Jack was certain that she would be awestruck.


	34. Forever

_Forever…_

When it came to Nick, that particular word didn't seem to be a part of his vocabulary for a good bit of his life. For quite awhile, the very concept of something being continually present for all future time, not matter short or long that be, just didn't seem like a realistic vision.

Previously surviving on the streets as a con artist, the vulpine didn't necessarily understand the word "forever" in terms of companionship. The promise of always being present or having your back in the dark moments seemed quite hollow to the heart-hardened fox. Rather than being inviting, it always seemed scary in his mind.

Personal experiences from various moments in his past made him mentally conclude that "forever" didn't exactly exist, and that everything eventually changed into a different state.

Mammals that appeared to be on the fox's side only painted that picture for so long, only to leave him all alone when he really needed them the most. It wasn't the most positive mentality to have in life, but being on the streets for years and years had unfortunately put him in that way of thinking for a good bit of time.

At one point, the fox ended up asking himself a question: _If I ever do manage to find out what forever even is, who would I want to spend it with?_

That is, until he met a certain sly bunny...

Someone that he could never get tired of seeing...

Someone whose presence always made him feel so happy...

Someone that he needed by his side and in his life...

After spending quite some time together, making many memories both on and off of the police force, he knew that _she_ was who he wished to spend forever with.

* * *

The fox and his leporine companion were sitting closely together, overlooking what surrounded them from a quaint, wooden dock. The sky was blushing with a deep shade of crimson, and the soothing sounds of the water underneath them could be heard. Despite such a gorgeous view being present, the little boardwalk wasn't being occupied by anyone else accept the two of them.

In a nutshell, it was the perfect ending to what was considerably a perfect day.

On the right side of the vulpine, the gray doe was looking down at their reflections that rippled within the water below her. Peaking her head back up, she looked back at the beautiful scenery that only the Canal District could provide.

Contently, the rabbit leaned his head to the left and onto Nick's shoulder. A cheerful expression additionally talking shape his muzzle, the vulpine placed a loving paw on the small, gray paw of his companion.

"Love you, Nick," she said quietly to the fox. And after a brief pause, she added, "Forever."

 _Forever…_

When that last word that the doe murmured registered his ears, the fox couldn't help but smile radiantly at her sincerity.

Nick always knew, with all of his heart, that when Judy swore that she would love him forever, she meant it.


	35. Game

"Aw, come on! And I was gettin' so close, too!"

Nick turned his head and came out of the other room, responding the young voice that sounded frustrated in tone. Walking into the living room and standing near the couch, the fox turned around to see the source of the muttering voice.

The vulpine's kit sat cross-legged, gripping tightly onto a black game controller as he continued to swiftly press a series of buttons on it. The expression on the young one's muzzle was enough of an indication that he had determination to get passed whatever it was he was trying to at the moment.

A sound came from the television that had the game on it, and the screen slowly faded to black as an indication that the game was over this time around. When his character disappeared off of the screen, the kit huffed and sagged his head a little bit.

Nick took a few more steps over and joined the frustrated child. "Hey, buddy," the fox breathed. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothin'," the kit replied, putting the controller down beside him and turning his attention over to his father. "Just tryin' to get passed this level, and I just can't."

Nick nodded his head. "So what's this game about?" he inquired.

The young one handed him over the game's case. The illustration on the front cover depicted an okapi standing proudly against a ragged pathway. Nick surveyed the front and back of the cover before putting it back down on the coffee table beside him.

"What you have to do," the kit explained, "is find these four objects by beating these four villains. Once you do that, you have to go to a wizard's tower and save the princess."

"Sounds pretty interesting," Nick replied. Turning his head over to the right, he asked, "You mind if I try it out a little? Maybe I could help ya get passed this level."

His son smiled and handed him over the controller. "Sure," he murmured.

Nick pressed a button, and the game on the screen restarted back where the kit had previously lost. "Okay, so what do I do now? How do I move ahead?"

Pointing to some of the buttons, the child let his father know the function of each of them. "You go forward with this button, press this button over _here_ to jump, and this other one to duck."

Nick nodded, understanding how the simplistic controls of the game worked. "Got it," he replied.

On the screen, the game started to unfold once more. The heroic okapi character trekked through a very dark area, the pathway only partially illuminated by a faint blue glow coming from nearby. For a good bit of time, it felt like the mammal on the screen was just going straight without anything adventurous happening. Before anyone could go any further, however, a puff of black smoke arose in a corner of the screen, and a hyena with a vicious grin appeared as the dark cloud slowly dissipated.

"Coward," the hyena on the television cackled. "Do you _seriously_ believe that you can overthrow a _warlock_?"

"This is who I can't get passed," the kit told his father. "He's pretty sneaky."

Nick grinned as he gripped the controller in his paws harder. His eyes dotting up to the screen again, he realized that the villainous hyena character had disappeared from view. For a quick moment, the vulpine wasn't sure what to do next until he realized that something had struck his okapi character down from behind.

"Come on, Dad!" the young one compelled to his dad. "Use the power-up!"

"Got it!" Nick replied, although unsure of how exactly to access the power-up that the child was pertaining to.

The vulpine with a few of the controller's buttons, unexpectedly opening up a menu of various selections above where his character was running. Going along with the first option that was highlighted ("Energy Spell" were the words that glowed upon selection), Nick pressed another button.

Upon doing so, the okapi on the television started to murmur a presumably magical phrase. Once muttered, a blast of blue energy came from his hooves and knocked the flagitious hyena bear down to the ground.

Within the moments that the villain was stunned by the blast from the spell, Nick moved his character away from the peril and down an available passageway. Once he was free from all interruptions, he guided the okapi to what looked like a chest. Inside of it was the first object that he needed to locate as part of the game's conquest.

Once he got as close as he could to the chest, the congratulating sounds of fanfare arose from the speakers of the TV.

"We have found our first artifact!" Nick exclaimed, jokingly announcing the proclamation in a deeper tone of voice. Turning his head to his son, he additionally remarked, "Where to next, brave one?"

A round of innocent giggles erupted from the little one at his father's antics. Pointing a paw to the right side of the screen, he suggested, "Let's try going over there."

* * *

 ** _One Hour Later…_**

Nick, after a good amount of time playing, now found himself fully submerged into the world of the game. On the television, the heroic character was now in combat with a kangaroo mage, who definitely had more stealthiness than the previous villains. Everything that he try to use was blocked by the foe, followed by the kangaroo character delivering a swift kick.

" _Goodness_ , this guy's impossible to beat!" the vulpine ended up muttering. Handing the controller back to his son, he added, "Maybe you can try to get passed him."

The sound of the lock on the front door turning arose from the corner, catching the fox's attention for a moment before it turned back around. The door opened shortly after, and Judy walked into the room carrying a heavy bag of groceries.

"Hey, you two," she greeted. "Back from the shop."

His eyes still attentive on the game's fight, Nick simply replied, "Hey, Carrots."

"Hi, Mom," his kit chimed in.

For a brief moment, Judy just looked over at the two. She lifted the bags back up and walked them over to the kitchen, starting place some of her purchases on the counters in preparation to be put away.

"Guys, you think you pitch in and help me put some of these groceries away?" she asked.

"Sure, Fluff," Nick called back. "Just one second here."

Judy let out a small sigh, digging into her paper grocery bag and pulling out one particular item that she was certain would capture their attention.

"I got some fresh blueberries waiting here," Judy said.

Just as she suspected, mentioning what she did was the sure thing that would manage to get their attention away from the game. Nick and his son both peaked their heads around, their tails wagging excitedly in unison.

"Come on, buddy," the vulpine said to his kit as he started to walk over. "Let's get some of those blueberries."

"Yum!" the child remarked. "My favorite!"

 _Those two,_ Judy thought, shaking her head as she naturally smiled.


	36. Cardinal

"This spot right here," Judy said, "used to be one of my favorite places to go to and just sit."

Nodding his head, the doe's fox accompaniment studied the area that they had just walked up to. Where they were located was on the top of a fairly-sized hillside that was near the end of the nature trail that they just walked through.

From where the vulpine and rabbit sat, the passageway that nature carved looked a lot smaller in their eyes. They also happened to be in the shade, too, courtesy of a tree that had grown quite tall beside them.

"I can see why this is your favorite spot," Nick remarked. "Everything's just so peaceful from up here."

"Yeah," the doe beside him replied. "It's perfect, isn't it?"

"In reality, anywhere's perfect as long as you're sitting beside me, Carrots."

The bunny giggled. "Sappy fox," she breathed, getting Nick to chuckle alongside her.

"The views are just amazing," the fox went on. "It was a pretty good climb up, but I can say that the sights are worth it."

Barely any sounds stirred from where they sat, making the entire scene serenity at its finest. Something bright and colorful swooped above the heads of both mammals, and Nick tried to look up and get a better look at what it was. Shortly afterwards, he started to hear the sounds of chirping. His ears registered that it was coming from the tall tree that was shading them, and the fox peaked his head upwards and tried to locate the source of the noise.

The particular chirp coming from above was quite familiar, a sound that Nick knew quite well. Soon enough, the sounds started to get closer and closer until both mammals could what was making all of the noise.

A lone bird appeared to be surveying its surroundings from a branch, and Nick and Judy could now both get a glimpse of it. The bird was a brilliant crimson color, with hints of black over its face and upper chest. For a quick moment, the bird turned its head looked over at the fox and rabbit, turning its head curiously before it went back to just sitting idly where it was.

"Cardinal," Judy murmured.

Nick nodded, watching silently as the bird flew up higher into the tree. It was still in their view, but not as close as it previously was.

Straightening back up and turning his head over to the rabbit, the vulpine asked, "Did you know that some believe that when you see a cardinal, it's actually a loved one visiting you?"

Judy shook her head, looking back at the fox. "No," she replied, "I never knew that."

"I don't really believe in a lot of things, Fluff, but that is one that I _do."_ The vulpine sighed, looking back at the natural wonder encompassing him as he got ready to tell his story. "I was around five years old when my grandfather passed away. I loved him a lot and he was such a kind mammal to everyone around him, so losing him when I was that young felt terrible. My mom came in my room one night and saw that I was having some trouble falling asleep 'cause I was still sad. And that was when she told me something."

The fox paused for a moment, catching his breath. The doe beside him never looked away from him, and didn't stop listening as he continued.

"My mother explained to me," Nick proceeded, "the whole cardinal thing. She said that if I saw a red one that it meant my grandfather was coming back to visit me. So a few days later, I was just sitting outside and all of a sudden this red bird comes by, tweeting as loud as it could. I wasn't sure if it was coincidental or not, so I just whispered, 'Grandfather?' When I did, the cardinal hopped even closer to me, and normally no bird would _ever_ let me get that close to it without it flying away."

The fox blinked, looking back up at the cardinal that was high in the tree above him and his companion. "I remember running back into the house with happy tears, hugging my mom and just exclaiming, 'You were right! He came back!'"

"That wasn't all, though," the vulpine continued. He turned his head back over to Judy. "Not even a day before I graduated from the academy, I was walking out and ended up seeing a red bird after quite some time. Mother told me they come to you in times of celebration, too, so in the back of my head I took it as my grandfather coming to congratulate me on my accomplishments. So I've had a good bit of faith in the cardinal thing ever since."

Judy simply nodded, not sure how to respond to such a story being told by her fox.

"I know I've already told you this about a million times, but I'll tell you again," Nick said. "Just… thank you, Carrots. Thank you for giving me the ability to join you and the mammals in blue." The vulpine's eyes dotted back up to the bird that was still above them after all of this time. "I'm sure that he's proud of the mammal I've become."

For quite some time, the fox and rabbit sat silently, enjoying each other's presence and gazing at the horizon. The cardinal above their heads chirping as it flew off of the tree and into the mid-afternoon sky.

* * *

 **Author's Note: This story was a little bit different this time around, but I hope that y'all enjoyed it. This immediately entered my head last night and I had to just get it out.** **The cardinal story told by Nick's mother within this is actually based off of something that I read about before, on how seeing that kind of bird means a loved one is visiting you.**

 **Also, I want to give thanks to everybody who has been reading and keeping up with these stories of mine.**

 **'Til next time! :D**


	37. Streetlight

Making her way down the pathway in front of her, the doe trotted forward alongside her companion. From there, the two mammals continued their casual evening stroll down the frigid streets of Tundratown. With the nighttime darkness unfolding in the sky, some of the shops on the sidewalks started to illuminate the district.

After having enjoyed an appetizing meal at one of the district's charming restaurants, the two mammals couldn't have been any happier than they already were.

Judy turned her head over to the fox beside her. "That place was _great_ , Nick," she said, even though she had already exchanged her line of positive remarks about where they had just got done eating at. "And the food was cooked to perfection. Don't know how you found about this place, but thanks again for suggesting to come here."

"Well, Carrots," Nick replied, "along with knowing everybody, I also happen to know a lot of the fine eateries in the city. Also, that stern food critic that's always in the paper actually recommended that place, said that their ratatouille was really good. Based on his praise alone, I just knew that we had to give it a try."

"And then there was the _ambience_ , too," Judy went on, continuing to tell her companion about the exquisite interior of the restaurant. "I mean, the decorations and everything were just… just so…"

"Ritzy?" the fox inquired, trying to finish the bunny's trailing thoughts. "Exquisite, perhaps?"

Judy nodded her head. "There's the word I was looking for," she admitted.

After a moment of silence, Nick remarked, "Now if only we could get something for dessert around here?"

"Oh, no thanks," Judy replied. "I don't think I could eat another bite."

The vulpine nodded. "Alrighty then," Nick said. "In that case, another one of these days I'll have to take you one of my favorite bakeries here in Tundratown. They even got carrot cake, and some of the best in town at that. Maybe another time we'll head over there and you can taste it for yourself."

Paw in paw, Nick and Judy continued to walk along down the cold sidewalks. Up ahead, the rabbit spotted the streetlights in front of them beginning to turn on, an additional source of luminescence to the frosty cityscape. Once they started to get closer and closer to one particular streetlight in front of them, the pace of the fox and rabbit to slow down gradually before they came to a stop.

The tall, black light pole above casted an artificial pool of orange radiance, illuminating the two of them and the fraction of the sidewalk that they both stood upon. A chilly gust of wind bristled along near where they were standing, and Judy simply squeezed her fox's paw and stood even closer beside him. The vulpine smiled back at her, his emerald eyes meeting up with hers.

Gentle snowflakes continued to fall from up above, dancing their way down to the grounds in their sporadic pattern. As they fell, the fox stuck his tongue and jokingly tried to catch at least one of the sprinkling droplets of snow upon it. The vulpine succeeded, and Judy couldn't help but giggle.

Shortly afterwards, Nick peaked his neck upward and looked at the light coming from the pole above them. Smiling as he turned his attention to his bunny, Nick muttered, "The streetlights. It looks like they're all comin' on."

Judy looked over at her companion. "Yep, they are," she murmured back to the vulpine. Wondering where the fox was even going with the conversation he had started, she added, "What about them?"

"I'm no wise thinker, Carrots, but I made an observation about them." Nick paused for a moment, seeing that the rabbit was listening attentively to what he was saying. "Without that glow coming from the bulbs in those lights, these sidewalks would obviously be in the dark. I know it sounds pretty cheesy, but I believe that a similar idea can be applied to a certain bunny that's standing right here beside me. Whenever things were dark, you have always been, and I'm sure will always be, right there to show me the light."

Nick leaned his head downward, giving his beloved bunny a gentle kiss. "Love you, Judy, more than you could ever imagine.

"Love you too, you witty fox," Judy replied softly.

The doe then produced a large but delicate smile, her expression more radiant than any of the streetlights on the sidewalks.


	38. Cards

"Okay, buddy," Nick said, joining with his kit who was already waiting for him on the floor. "You ready for me to show you how to play this game?"

As he took his seat, the excited nods that were coming from his son's head were enough of an answer to him. The vulpine hadn't played this particular card game since he was younger, and he was quite eager to share the fun of playing it with his child, too.

"This was one of my favorites to play when I was your age," Nick informed. "It's called 'Snap,' and I think you're gonna like it."

The kit smiled, attentively observing his father take out the deck of cards he had with him and give them a quick but neat shuffle. From there, Nick split the deck into two face-down stacks, trying to make them as equal as he possibly could.

Handing over a stack to his son, Nick explained, "Now the rules of the game are pretty simple. What we _do_ here is start placing our cards in a pile right here. But if you see that we both end up putting down cards that are the same, you say…" The fox hesitated, seeing if the kit in front of him knew what to do next.

"Snap?" the kit answered.

"Exactly, son," the vulpine replied. "You're a fast learner. Anyway, all we gotta do from there is keep doing that until one of us loses all of our cards. You ready?"

"Ready!"

Nick picked up his stack of face-down cards, holding it in his paw. "Well, what are we waiting for?" he remarked. "You can put down the first card."

The child happily did so, revealing his first card. "I got a seven," he said.

Nick took out what was on the top of his stack, setting on top of his son's card in the newly-formed pile that was in the middle of them. "Alrighty," he replied, pointing at the card he just put down. "Three of clubs. Your turn again, kiddo."

Smiling, the kit threw his next card down. "Nine," he muttered.

"Six," his father called next.

From there, the two carried on with the procedure, patiently awaiting the moment two similar cards were going to pop up onto the pile that was starting increase in size.

"Five."

"Ace."

"Queen."

"King."

Not even two seconds after the king was placed on top of the queen, a small russet paw slapped down onto the pile. "Snap!" the little one, grabbing the pile and sliding it over to his side.

"Wait a minute, buddy," Nick informed, shaking his head. "I don't think that's a match."

Looking at the cards that he had just collected, the kit seemed to disagree. "But it _is_ a match, Dad," he replied.

"The cards have to be the same in order to call 'Snap.' Those two are different."

"But the king and queen love each other very much, though," the child said. "The two aren't complete without one another, so they are a pair."

Nick couldn't help but grin at his son's surprisingly wise observation, and let out a tiny chuckle as well. _Now that's pretty clever,_ he thought. _There's no doubt about it that he got that slyness of his from me._

"You're not wrong, son," the fox said. "You're not wrong."


	39. Pier

The water was as beautiful as it could ever be, and Judy enjoyed be by it as she continued to stroll down the beach's golden shore. The doe happily soaked up the sun's rays as she kept ambling ahead, scavenging through the small seashells that were scattered about.

After getting another quick look at the ocean waves, she turned around and merrily strolled back up to where she came from. Once she got back to the portion of the beach where most of the mammals present were, the thick mounds of sand below her feet started to shift. With each individual step or movement from the doe, her paws seemed to be buried just a little bit deeper in the grainy shore.

Judy had the concept of taking a vacation with Nick to somewhere near the beach for quite some time, and so far what she was seeing was exceeding all of her previous expectations. With all of the breathtaking scenery that she was glimpsing at, it was no wonder why so many mammals also chose this as the place they chose for their vacation.

Now that she had gotten off of the beach back to where all of the shops and such were located, she thought it best to meet back up with Nick before she continued on with her sightseeing. The fox went the other direction and decided that he was going to check out some of the small stores that were nearby, saying that he would meet up with her near the pier. Soon enough, the rabbit spotted her fox walking her way, carrying two small plastic bags in his paw.

"Looks like you found a few souvenirs," Judy remarked.

"Sure did, Carrots," Nick replied. The fox opened up the small of the two bags, letting Judy see what was inside of it. "They also had this saltwater taffy shop down that street, too, so I thought we should at least try it out while we're here." He reached into the bag and gave Judy the purple piece of taffy from the variety of colors. "There you are, Fluff. It was only natural to get the one that reminded of your eyes."

Judy shook her head as she unwrapped the piece of taffy and popped into her mouth. "I would expect nothing less from a sentimental fox like yourself," she said.

After a few moments of just enjoying the views, as well as some of the taffy that Nick bought, the two carried on and decided to make their way over to the busy pier. As Judy and her fox approached the area, the mellifluous sounds of fun and summertime rung in the her ears as she wandered forward.

The salty breeze gently hit the doe's face as she simply beheld her surroundings, watching the ocean waves as they took formation. To her left was a few small venues that looked like the tents that one would see pitched at a carnival, and the tantalizing smells of fried foods being prepared at said vendors started to naturally permeate its way through the air.

They approached some of the establishments, the thing that was closest to them seeming to catch their attention. What they stopped in front of was a fortune teller booth, a prop that was in the likeness of a brown rabbit stood in from of a crystal ball.

"Come forward," the animatronic spoke, "and hear you fortune from a seer himself."

Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Worth a shot," he muttered. "Alrighty, let's see what our fortune is, Carrots."

Soon enough, the fox and doe were beckoned forward. After they inserted the coins into the machine, the rabbit prop rubbed his paws upon the "crystal ball." A ding was heard shortly afterwards, and a yellow paper card was dispensed from the machine, presumably containing what their fortune was.

Judy took the paper and looked at what was written upon it:

 _The most beautiful, precious things of all that is surrounding you, is who is standing in front of you. A long life full of love is what awaits._

"Couldn't get any truer than that, Nick," Judy remarked, putting the card with her fortune written upon it in her pocket. "But, honestly, I don't need"—she looked at the name written on the sign above the fortune booth—"'The Great Fiver' over there to let me know you're the most precious thing to me."

Judy planted a kiss on Nick's paw, and the fox was incapable of containing the toothy grin that he was now wearing.

"Come on, Fluff," the vulpine beckoned. "Let's see what else this pier's got goin' on right now." After he finished saying that, a silly idea was planted in his head. "Wait, I got an idea. Last one down to the end of the pier is a-"

A snicker from the doe interrupted the fox. "Nick," Judy replied, "I'm not gonna race you." She continued walking at her normal speed, but unexpectedly broke out into a speed that was more of a jog. "Not without a few-second head start, that is."

"Sly bunny," he muttered, and with that the fox broke out into a run and tried to catch up with her.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey there, readers! Well, writer's block was a real pain for a good bit of time, but I finally managed to break through some of it with this little story. With summer speedily approaching, I thought that it was only natural to write something that involved both the beach and a vacation.** **Not the best, but I still hope it was a small but enjoyable read for y'all.**

 **'Til next time! :)**


	40. Scrapbook

The evening was young around the city, and Judy was spending the rest of the evening sitting in her armchair, gazing through the nearby window. Although the night was a wonderful one, she and her companion didn't have any plans to go anywhere. Instead, she was completely happy just relaxing at home, additionally enjoying a warm and refreshing cup of freshly-brewed tea.

Her fox was located not too far away from she was sitting; the vulpine currently looking outside from the porch. He came in a few moments later, making his way back inside to join his bunny. Another one of his signature Pawaiian shirts was standing out with a strange amount of brightness against the fur of his, which was now beginning to fade from his once-bright russet tint. While the evidence of his age was quite visual, it never stopped him staying youthful on the inside. Even if it meant that he was in complete denial that he now was getting tints of gray in his fur.

Turning her head over to the left of her, Judy glimpsed over to a neatly-organized bookshelf that stood in the living room. From the shelf in the right corner, she pulled out a book a wide and thick in appearance. She made her way over to the couch and rested with the book in her lap, getting a nice and good look at its cover. The front was dark brown in color and had a happy photo of her and Nick together.

Underneath the little square that contained their photo were golden yellow letters that spelled out _"Memories"_ in cursive writing. While it was one thing to easily look at a picture and feel the nostalgia, it was an entirely different thing to look at in a beautifully-decorated page. In Judy's head, the memories were just so much nicer when viewed in the form of a scrapbook.

For a brief moment, she studied the picture on the front cover. It was a very simplistic photo of the two of them, the lush sights of the Rainforest District behind them. Looking at it, Judy couldn't do anything else but smile. That particular photo, based on both of their youthful appearances, had been taken of them a considerably long time ago.

Letting out a small chuckle, the doe gently opened up the large scrapbook and started to look at the memories that were kept inside of it. The first few pages of the book consisted of photos similar to the one that was on the front, depicting Judy and her fox in several different places. When she reached the fourth page, however, the pictures started to feature another mammal.

Judy looked at a particular photo, no longer capable of containing a straight face at the undeniably adorable shot. The picture showed a widely smiling Nick, looking down at what was swaddled beside him. A tiny russet paw appeared to be wrapped around his one finger. The paw belonged to none other than their beloved kit. The picture on the succeeding page seemed to skip to his first birthday party; in the shot, the little one, grinning widely, had his smash cake all over his muzzle and his paws.

Flipping the page, Judy looked at how their kit had grown up in size in the pictures. The next one showed one of his first times that he was celebrating the holidays, a Santa Claws hat playfully on his head as he stood by a fully-decorated tree. The words "Family Christmas" were scribbled on the paper that the pictures were placed upon.

Three other pictures had the kit taking center spotlight. The first showed the young mammal standing next to a garden box growing a variety of colorful flowers in the springtime, a wide smile on the little one's muzzle. The second one showed him on a sunny beach in the Canal District. In that particular photograph, he appeared to be a little bit older than in the previous ones. He was in the process of constructing a sandcastle, and in the shot Judy was holding a plastic shovel as she assisted him. The third one on the page was, once again, primarily focused upon their child, who wore silly, jocund grin as he played in a large pile of autumn leaves.

Another page was turned showing another one of the kit's birthday parties. It had been a Pawaiian-themed party, and some of the minor decorations surrounding the kit in the photo were either aqua blue or reminiscent of an island. Officer Clawhauser, Wolfard, and some of the other recognizable members of the ZPD could be seen faintly in the background.

The next sheet had the words "Like Father, Like Son" printed on the top of it. Taking up a good bit of the page was Nick and the kit, both of them dressed in nearly-identical shirts and ties. On the right of it was two photographs, one of them taken from Halloween one year with little one was posing in his cute superhero outfit. The other shot depicted him making a batch of sugar cookies for yet another holiday season, flour appeared to be dusted across some of the countertops as well as his apron that was drooped over him.

Continuing to reminisce, Judy kept flicking through the myriad of pictures that she was holding in front of her. As she progressed through the rest of the book, the doe saw that the kit being photographed gradually started to grow taller and taller, up until he was fully grown up.

She was reaching the final pages when her phone vibrated to the right of her. _Speaking of,_ Judy thought.

The screen was lit up with a text, one that was from none other than her son. She picked up her phone and looked at the message thst had been sent to her.

The message read, _Had a surprise to give you. Let me know when you get it, okay?_

The doe clicked her phone off after looking at the message for a little bit of time. _He has_ _a surprise to give me?_ she asked to herself, unsure of what to think.

Not even a minute later, a friendly knock was placed against their front door, making the bunny's ears perk up. Judy hopped up off of her cozy chair and slowly strolled over to the door, unlocking it and seeing who it was that was waiting on the other side of it.

"Surprise," an ever-so-familiar voice remarked.

The leporine looked up at who was at her doorstep, the most ebullient expression radiating off of her muzzle upon seeing who it was. Walking right up to her son, who was now a grown mammal who carried on the legacy of his parents working on the police force, Judy gave him one of the largest hugs. No matter how old her son was getting or how much taller he started to grow, her motherly love for him would remain unconditional.

Judy lead him into the house, gesturing for him to take a seat beside his father on the couch. From there, the old doe grabbed the brown scrapbook she was looking through from her chair, carrying it over and plopping down the other available couch cushion.

The doe flicked through the large pages again, searching for the one that she was just looking at before she stopped. When she got to where she wanted to be within the book of precious memories, Judy tapped her son's shoulders. When his attention was fixated her direction, she pointed to various pictures and started to tell him about the moments in time that were associated with each of them.

With smiles, laughter, and grand memories currently being shared, the doe honestly couldn't have asked for a better way to enjoy her evening.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey there! First off, as usual, t** **hank you SO much to every single one of you who have been keeping up with all of these snippets of mine. It means a lot to know y'all are reading and enjoying them!** **I've had a lot of fun coming with these silly little stories about everyone's favorite fox and bunny pairing. :)**

 **Secondly, this chapter is my _fortieth_ one on here. Woot woot! Here's to another forty more in the future! :D**

 **This was, for a fun fact, originally written out with the intention of being a Mother's Day thing, but I later changed it up to be fitting for anytime after undergoing a handful of rewrites.**

 **Hope that I did a good job on this one and that it managed to put a smile on your face.** **As always, let me know what you guys think. Your feedback, good and bad, is gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time! :)**


	41. Lucky

"Jack, I'm-"

The arctic vixen's words were cut midway upon her shutting the door and walking into the hallway. The front room had no light in it whatsoever, with the exclusion of the small glow coming from a lamp that was not too far away. Normally Jack was waiting right there in the living room to greet her, so it was a little bit peculiar that he wasn't.

"Home?" she finished.

The vixen stepped further into the room, looking around to see where that jackrabbit could possibly be.

"Unless..." she murmured to herself.

Skye naturally made her over to the next room, which lead out to the serene spot outside with a screened-in porch. That particular spot was personally her favorite place to spend time in the house, so she was fairly certain that that was where Jack currently was.

Once she got closer to where she needed to go, she saw an orange shadow of light being casted against the wall, as well as heard the faint sounds of crickets chirping nearby.

Once her head piqued around the corner and she caught of the porch, Skye saw her beloved buck patiently awaiting her arrival. The way things were currently arranged outside gave her the impression that he had this prepared for quite awhile before she showed up.

Two chairs were already pulled out, one of which was being occupied by Jack. Her darting to the middle of the outdoor table, she also saw that a familiar candle with a tropical scent was lit (it being one of her absolute favorites of the few scents they had around the house).

After what had been a long and busy day at work, and getting stuck in the the worst traffic that it was her misfortune to witness, the jackrabbit's thoughtfulness made all of her previous frustrations dissipate.

Jack, who appeared to be scrolling on the screen of his phone, lifted his slouched neck up and smiled upon looking at the arctic vixen. He turned his attention back to his phone, holding out a paw that was gesturing for her to wait a minute. He pressed a few buttons and then clicked his phone off.

Shortly afterwards, a recognizable melody reverberated around the porch. The tune coming from the little speaker of the striped buck's phone consisted of just piano, sounding both pretty and joyous in nature. Conveniently, what Jack selected to play was her favorite.

Jack got up from the chair as Skye took another step closer. Invitingly, he stretched a paw outward.

"May I have this dance?" he asked kindly.

Skye's paw naturally intertwined with the jackrabbit's as he brought her closer. The fox and rabbit slowly swayed to the comforting sounds of the music. The two stared tenderly into each other's gleaming eyes as they danced, not looking away at anything else.

"I know this is a little impromptu," Jack said as they carried on, "but I just thought you would enjoy this after that long day."

Grinning happily, Skye murmured in reply, "Thank you, darling."

"Actually," the striped jackrabbit replied, "I believe it is _I_ who should thank _you_."

"For what?"

"For all of the love and light you bring into my life." As sappy as it was going to sound when he said it, he added, "How did I get such a great companion?"

The vixen chuckled under her breath. "Not sure," she joked in reply. "Sometimes you just get lucky, I guess."

"In that case, consider me the luckiest mammal in Zootopia."

And Skye could say the same thing as well.


	42. Another Dream Fulfilled

For a certain ovine, what was happening right now was a fulfillment of the dreams that she had ever since she was really little.

From early on, the stars and the like had always been her fascination. When she was just a kid, no more than six old (if she could remember correctly), she participated in a stargazing event at one of the small parks in the Burrows for the first time, and ended up getting a glimpse at a few shooting stars in the process. Her young mind was awestruck, and it was basically from that moment on that she knew, deep down in her heart, that she truly wanted to reach for the stars.

As she grew up, science obviously became her favorite subject in school. Whenever she had a chance to, reading whatever she could find regarding space and the like was something she additionally enjoyed doing. And on some occasions, whenever the night sky was clear, Sharla would grab the telescope that she owned and just study the stars and constellations from her bedroom window.

Although some mammals in school told her to just abandon her dreams, saying that there was little to no possibility of her accomplishing them, her close friends, who had big dreams of their own, always were encouraging her to never give up on what she loved.

* * *

Thinking about that in the back of her head made Sharla's previously faint smile widen as she continued what she was working on. An uncanny sense of soundlessness was what was surrounded the sheep on all sides. Her cocking back over to her left, Sharla once again took a good look back at the visible blotches of blue and green belonging to the planet she called her home. If there was one thing that she could be certain of, it was that the views from where she currently was located couldn't be beat.

Her head turning back to the tasks in front of her, the ovine continued to work on the installation of the adapter plates on the side of the spacecraft she occupied. Sharla floated over a few inches to the right, with obviously no gravity holding her firmly in one exact position. Her crew had been busily working together on the rest of the installation for a good bit of time now.

Sharla glanced over at the other two members of her crew from the Zootopia Space Station joining her in this particular spacewalk, a deer and an ocelot. A utensil ended up coming her direction, and the sheep managed to grab it as it weightlessly floated in the ominous vacuum of outer space.

The ovine's head turned back around, glimpsing yet another time at home. For a brief moment, she started thinking about Judy, her best friend, and how the giant city that she lived her dreams in was just a small speck of land from where she was.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

Located a small space away from a familiar cobblestone bridge—the one where an ever-so-familiar memory was made under—the particular spot Judy was in made for a great place to go if she and Nick were looking for a serene spot to enjoy each other's company.

The doe leaned back where she seated, her fox not too far away from her presence. Judy's eyes, rather than focusing upon the atramentous sky above, were watching something that was playing on her iPaw.

Curiously, the vulpine a few inches away took a peek at what his bunny appeared to be attentively watching from her phone. What was on the small screen appeared to be a spacewalk of some sort. However, it wasn't just any spacewalk being broadcasted live. It was the spacewalk that Judy's good friend, Sharla, was a part of.

For a moment, the doe holding the phone smiled, putting it down and looking at the star-filled sky. Below the firmament, straight in front of the two mammals, a few trees stood a few yards away from where the bridge was located. One of them looked like it had no leaves left on it, and the smaller ones appeared to only a scant number of leaves still enact. Distant from it all, like the background of a priceless painting, was the faint outlines of the beloved city.

Yet another time, Judy's head wondrously peaked back up to the glittery, surreal blanket of stars. Thinking of Sharla again as she beamed, the doe murmured to herself, "Another dream fulfilled."

* * *

 **Author's Note: It's only natural for the _forty-second_ story here to be about space and the like, isn't it? XD**

 **I remembered Sharla saying that she wanted to become an astronaut, and so the idea of writing something that showed her fulfilling that childhood dream started coming to mind.**

 **Anywho, this was written in a short amount of time, so it's not exactly the best thing I could come up. But I hope that it was decent enough for y'all to enjoy reading it anyways. I've got better story ideas cooking up that I'll be sharing as soon as I can. :)**

 **'Til next time! :D**


	43. Mazes and Mammals

"Nicholas, Judith, I have good faith that there's something up ahead."

The fox and rabbit being spoken to got curious as to what the grizzly bear in front of them was seeing. After trekking through miles of tenebrous greenwoods, to know that something possibly positive was in view brought a smile to both of their faces.

"What is it, Sebastian?" Judith inquired.

The large bear replied, "It looks like a village of some sort."

Nicholas sighed with relief. "Thank the gods," he breathed. "Civilization at last."

The pace of the three adventurers quickened slightly as they all tried to get closer to the settlement that they managed to catch sight of. The woodland trail ended, cutting off into a lane as they followed the path in front of them.

However, much to their dismay, their hopes ended up being shattered like broken pottery. The settlement looked established from the distant forest, but ended up being completely dilapidated when they all got a closer look at it.

Where they were might have been thriving many years ago, but its current condition gave off the impression that it had been long abandoned. What looked like small houses were either without a roof, exposed to the elements, or basically in ruins. Larger buildings, presumably stores that once supplied a community, appeared to be choked with vines that coiled around the exterior of them.

Looking over to the right, Judith noticed a series of signs made out of splintery wood nailed into the ground below them. All of them carried the same message to those passing through, saying things such as "Turn Around" or "Leave While You Can."

If anything, the forsaken village appeared to be just as eerie in condition as the forest that the three just got out of.

The common mammal would have taken in their surroundings and instinctively turned around, obeying the orders placed by the signs. But the three brave mammals were on a quest, and under no circumstances would they ever show fear.

Judith stepped in front Nicholas and Sebastian, slowly making her way onto the grounds of the decrepit settlement. Without warning, the doe heard the approaching noise of someone minaciously chuckling. Judith stopped dead in her tracks, her ears perked up slightly at the sound.

Acting upon instinct, Nicholas pulled out his bow and arrow, and Sebastian pulled out his sword and held it chivalrously above him, anticipating whatever foe might come their direction.

The three slowly moved forward, and the sounds of the sinister laughter greeted them again.

Responding to the source of the noise, Judith remarked, "Show yourself."

Suddenly, a figure appeared from inside a building that looked more intact than the rest surrounding the village. It started to gradually come forward, looking as it it were levitating a few inches off of the ground. Appearing before the three was a white tiger, clothed in what looked like a purplish-blue cloak.

Landing firmly on the ground, the feline grinned and taunted, "Your lives must not be that important for you to have stepped paw here. If I were to be honest with you three, I would have listened to the signs and turned around back. That is, unless death _is_ what you're seeking."

Judith huffed. "If you believe we are afraid, then you are _sorely_ mistaken," she remarked.

"Besides," Nicholas said, chiming in, "There is three of us and only one of you."

"Very well," the tiger replied.

The feline levitated off of the ground once again, and he started to recite what they could only assume was some sort of incantation under his breath. As he neared the end of his spell, his voice got louder and powerful.

A moment of silence came about before the soil beneath their paws began to quake. Several fissures opened within the ground near the white tiger, and a small number of creatures that he had summoned up popped up before them.

"Get those three!" the feline commanded to his newly-formed adversaries.

* * *

"The tiger's undead army starts to menacingly approach you," Finnick informed. Turning his head to Nick, he asked, "What do you do?"

"Well, let's see what I can do here…" the vulpine hesitated. Nick looked at the sheet a paper in front of him, deciphering a possible option. He grabbed for one of the few blue-colored dice laying in front of him on the table. "All right, I think it's time to use that special arrow I picked up awhile back," Nick remarked.

Judy watched as her fox picked up the die, eagerly anticipating what number would appear and if he would make the shot.

When the doe kindly accepted offering to join Nick, Finnick, and a good friend of theirs on their next round of Mazes and Mammals, she wasn't exactly sure that she would enjoy it. However, after grasping some of the complex rules of the game and understanding how all of the dice work, she surprisingly found herself enjoying the game.

Finnick sat on the other side of the table, the handbook to the game laying out in front of him. The fennec patiently waited for Nick to roll the die so he could determine what happened next within the story that he had unfolding.

Nick let go of the die in his paw and watched as it rolled onto the table. "Eighteen," the fox said. "And adding my bonus makes that"—he double-checked his paper one more time—"a total of _twenty_."

"Good roll, Slick," Judy congratulated.

Turning his to the doe beside him, the vulpine joyously remarked, "With that number, Carrots, nothin' can stop us now!"

"I wouldn't get ahead of myself if I were you, Wilde," Finnick interrupted. The fennec fox grinned as he pointed a paw to a certain spot on the page in the handbook. "The shot still missed."

* * *

 **Author's Note: My apologies ahead of time for such a ridiculous story addition here. I know this was pretty silly, but I hope that it was enjoyable nonetheless. This was again inspired by my own geekiness.**

 **Trying to overcome some of my previous writer's block, I ended up typing out a little scene involving Nick and Judy against a different kind of setting, and that eventually evolved into this.**

 **'Til next time! :)**


	44. Christmas Morning

**Author's Note: Do I know that I'm sharing another story about the holidays when it's not even close to the holidays? Yes, yes I do. But there's three reasons as to why I'm posting this one early:**

 **(A) The idea came about late last night, and it was simply _too_ fun of an idea to just pass up writing about. **

**(2) This can technically be classified as a "Christmas in July" special.**

 **(D)** **For some reason, stories involving Christmastime are always so joyful to write and read, and manage to put a smile on my face even when the holidays aren't even close to being here yet. :)**

 **Anyone notice what holiday movie I just referenced right there? XD**

 **There'll be a couple more references where that came from hidden within this little story, so let me know if y'all spotted any of them.**

 **Anywho, that's enough jibber-jabber out of me. As always, feel free to let me know what your thoughts were on this one. Feedback, whether it's good or bad, is always gladly appreciated.**

 **Enjoy! :D**

* * *

With warm and jovial smiles radiating off of them, Nick and Judy finished putting some of the last-minute decorative touches on the green, unlit Christmas tree.

"Here you go," Nick said, handing Judy one of the last ornaments from a nearby bin. "The last one."

A fairly-sized red bulb ornament in her paw, Judy continued to work on filling in some of the visible spots within the tree. Afterwards, the doe backed up a few inches and surveyed her side for any other spots that needed to be covered up.

With a smile, she murmured to Nick, "You picked a really nice tree."

Nick nodded his head, mentally agreeing with the bunny. "Yep," he replied. "And thanks to me knowing everybody, I got it off of that moose for a pretty good deal."

Judy grinned, and then turned her head to another figure that was seated in the living room. Who she was looking at was their beloved son, who sat in his favorite chair as he watched them finish up the tree, occasionally lending a paw by getting out the ornaments that were a lot less fragile.

"Alright, buddy," Nick said to his child. "It's time to light the tree up. You ready?"

The kit's eyes sparkled brighter than Christmas lights, and he clapped his paws out of anticipation. He couldn't wait to see the final result of one of the important staples of their holiday decorating.

Judy giggled. "I'll take that as a yes, Slick," she said to her fox.

Putting on his signature smirk, Nick announced, "I give you the Wilde-Hopps Family Christmas tree."

With that, he plugged the cord into the wall and stood back as the tree's lights came on. The strands of white lights that covered the circumference the entire tree brightened the room with their merriness.

The kit stared at it in awe, his mouth naturally taking the shape of an O. "Beautiful!" he proclaimed, getting up out of his chair with a jump.

For the child, Christmas was undoubtedly the best time of the year. If he had to choose a favorite holiday or observance out of all of the ones celebrated in a year, he would certainly have no hesitation in his answer. There was all of the decorations, the festive treats, and, of course, Santa Claws.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" he remarked, darting out of the room and into the kitchen.

Santa Claws would be arriving in Zootopia at any hour, and leaving a plate of sweet treats for him was basically a necessity. After all, the kit knew that it would just be plain impolite to not leave the jolly polar bear anything for when he showed up.

Opening the fridge, he grabbed about four of his mother's delicious frosted cookies (an adored family recipe that had been passed down to her) and placed them out on a small blue plate. Carefully walking back into the room, he set them down on the coffee table and went back to his chair.

"Are those for me, son?" Nick jokingly said, stepping over and stretching his paw out to take the one shaped like a star off of the plate.

"Not so fast," Judy remarked, waving a paw at the vulpine who was now caught in the act. "Those are Santa's cookies, not yours."

After the plate was set, Judy gestured for her son to come over to the couch as Nick turned on one of the enjoyable holiday films playing on television. The movie that was currently airing told the story of a young wolf who boards a locomotive that takes him on an unforgettable adventure to the North Pole. As the child attentively watched the screen, he became fully engaged to the movie in its entirety. And Nick and Judy themselves couldn't help but admit that they were enjoying it, too.

Once the movie was over, the TV channel started to replay Floatzen's holiday special yet another time for the evening. The kit ran back into his favorite chair and stared at the window as if he were awaiting something.

"What are you doing, buddy?" Nick inquired to his son with a chuckle.

Tapping his claws against the armrests, he replied, "I'm waiting for Santa to show up."

The vulpine laughed. He remembered doing the exact same things when he was his age, and could even remember trying to stay awake to witness Santa Claws but ended up falling asleep. "Well, he can't come here until your in bed."

With a sigh, the kit replied, "Okay."

Even though he truly wanted to stay in his seat all night and watch for Santa, regardless of how long it could possibly be until then, he obediently got up and got ready for bed. After brushing his teeth and changing into his cozy pajamas, he made his way over to his room. Judy came in a few moments afterwards to tuck him in and wish him sweet dreams.

Right before the doe shut the door, however, the child peaked his head up. "M-Mom?" he inquired.

Judy turned her head back around. "What is it?" she asked back.

"It's about Santa," was the little one's response.

"What about him?"

"How does he bring all of those presents in just one night, Mom? There must be, like, a _gazillion_ houses to go to."

Judy tiptoed back into her son's room and leaned down beside him. "Well…" she began. "You see, Santa's sleigh can go at super fast speeds, and it's all thanks to a very special kind of fuel that powers better than _anything_ out there. And do you know what that is?"

Her son shook her head. "I don't know."

The bunny continued, "It runs off of pure Christmas cheer. As mammals around the world get more and more in the holiday spirit, his super special 'Cheer Meter' starts goin' up and up, and with that his sleigh can go faster."

"Wow," the kit responded.

Getting up, Judy gave her beloved kit a kiss on his forehead and told him goodnight another time. The child watched as she slowly shut the door behind her. All snug in bed, he got on his side and looked out the bedroom window with a smile. The anticipation for Christmas morning to arrive was killing him; the recent discussion regarding Santa and how his sleigh worked making him even more excited.

For quite some time, he sat there with his eyes open. When jolly old Santa Claws stepped paw into their home, he wanted to make sure that he saw him with his own eyes.

He managed to stay awake for quite some time, expecting to hear the eventual sound of sleigh bells jingling. However, he started to get tired and his eyelids started getting heavy. Soon enough, he ended up drifted off to sleep, pleasantly dreaming of playing around in the snow in Tundratown.

* * *

 ** _Later…_**

If there was one thing that Nick originally had planned out, it was that Christmas morning would fully commence at a later time. Considering all of the early mornings he had on regular days, it would've been nice for a change for him and Judy to start their traditional present opening when the sun was actually up and shining bright. However, like several other preparations the fox had made on previous occasions, the concept of maybe sleeping in for a little bit had been abruptly shot down.

"Dad!" a voice called out, sounding energetic and ready to go. "Dad, Santa came! Come on, Dad!"

Their child was more than revved-up on this particular morning, impatiently anticipating to open up into what gifts he received this year.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Nick stretched slightly. "Where is it?" he said, jokingly tapping the kit's muzzle near his nose and making him laugh. "Where's that button?"

After a delicate giggle, the kit replied, "Dad, I'm not the snooze button!" After a brief pause, he informed, "Anyway, Santa came last night and you guys _gotta_ see what he left out here. It's _amazing_!"

"Okay, buddy," Nick replied, looking as if he was falling back asleep. "I'm gonna have a good dream about it, and we'll open them gifts up in the mornin'."

Nick rolled on the opposite side and tried to go back to sleep. The little one decided to take another action, tugging on his father's shoulders as much as he could and trying to get him to wake up. "Come on, Dad. It _is_ morning, and you gotta get up!"

As if on cue, Nick plopped over and faced the overenthusiastic child. "Do you know what you just did?" he asked, pretending to sound deadpan in tone.

The kit giggled. "No, what?"

"You've just awakened the Big Bad Fox, and you know what he feeds on at this hour?"

"Candy canes?" the child responded, going along with what he knew quite well was another one of father's little shenanigan.

"No, not in the slightest," Nick answered, shaking his head. From here, he slowly peaked his head for ward. "He feeds… on… _Tickles!_ "

At that, Nick swiftly lunged his paws forward and delivered a series of playful tickles. "Nom nom nom nom," Nick continued to tease. His kit ended up giggling uncontrollably, the precious sound of that putting a smile across Nick's muzzle.

"Come on," Judy chimed in, "let's go see."

Dragging his parents out to the living room, the little one's eyes glowed with awe as he looked at the spectacle that awaited him this Christmas morning. Additionally, the faint but evident flickering of snowflakes could be seen around the cityscapes, making the entire scene almost picture-perfect.

Nick, still wishing for that long winter's nap that holiday stories often spoke of, sighed as he plopped onto the seat right by his bunny's side. _Pretty sure most of the Zootopia's fast asleep right now_ , he thought.

The kit started to tear the festive wrapping paper off of the first present, slowly revealing what was inside. After it was completely unwrapped, a gasp of delight and excitement, just as Nick and Judy had previously predicted, arose from their son. He showed them what he had received, holding up a large box that contained a playset according to the picture that was printed on the front of it.

Judy looked over at her son with a wide smile. "Oh my goodness," she remarked to him. "Is that the Dinoco playset that you asked Santa for?"

Judging from the look on his muzzle, the doe confirmed that he couldn't have been any happier with what he had received this year. She was very certain that he would have a lot of fun with that particular playset, making stories with it as he played with some of his favorite toy cars.

Her son eagerly tried to open up the playset's box to get all of the pieces out of it, but struggled a little bit to get it open.

"We'll get that open a little later, buddy," Nick said. He pointed a smaller package that was positioned right behind the one that was just opened. "Try _that_ one next. That one looks like a good one, if I do say so myself."

The kit started to open the next present, and the shimmering wrapping paper now laid scattered across the floor.

As Nick watched the gift being opened, he felt a small paw being placed upon his. He turned around to look over at the bunny smiling beside him. However, the fox remembered something and his eyes started to widen a bit. "Oh my," he muttered to the doe under his breath.

"What?" Judy asked in reply. "What is it?"

The vulpine face-pawed and shook his head. "I can't believe it, Fluff," he said dramatically. "I can't believe that I forgot to get you a present this year. My gosh, this has got to be the worst Christmas ever!"

Laughter was Judy's first response to Nick's remark. Knowing him as many years as she has, the doe was quite familiar with just about every trick that he's pulled. "Har har," she murmured.

Nick turned his head over to his son, continuing his whole charade. "Do you see any present over there for Mommy?" he asked.

"I don't know," his son said. He tried to hold back a giggle as hard as he could. Getting up from off of the floor, he walked over to the left of the tree. "Wait, Dad, I see something!"

"You do?" the vulpine asked. "That's _great_ , buddy! Bring it on over."

The little one did as he was asked, picking up the gift and carefully walking it over to his mother. "For you, Mom," he said, awaiting for reaction upon opening it. "From Dad and me."

Judy examined the square package. Playfully, she brought the box up to her ears and moved it around as light as she could, trying to hear what could possibly be inside of it. She took the ribbon off of the top and removed the lid. Upon doing so, she pulled out a slightly smaller box that was inside of that one.

Now holding the smaller package in her paws, she popped the lid off of it. A small side of her was expecting it to be yet another box, but instead she ended up seeing a thin sheet of wrapping paper that appeared to be covering the gift.

She carefully unfolded the paper, and her eyes glowed upon seeing the thoughtful present that was inside. Judy pulled out what looked like a new bracelet, with touches of emerald and amethyst-colored beads upon it.

"I _love_ this, Nick!" Judy said. "Thank you." After a momentary pause, the doe hopped right out of her seat. "Oh, wait one second, I'll be right back."

The bunny walked over to another spot in the room, coming back a few moments later. "Hey, Nick," she called to her fox, making her way over to where she was seated before.

"Yeah, Carrots?" he replied.

Nick paused and looked over at his bunny, snickering upon catching a faint glimpse of what she was currently had above her head. What the rabbit had in her paw, conveniently, was strand of mistletoe with a red bow above it. She continued to hold it above her as sat back down beside the vulpine.

Giving his beloved bunny the kiss that the symbolic mistletoe promised, he remarked, "I sense you had that mistletoe already set up."

Judy put on a wide smirk. "And you're not wrong." Setting the mistletoe down beside her, she looked over at her fox and murmured, "Merry Christmas, Nick."

A smile came naturally to Nick's muzzle. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."


	45. Lighthouse

"Delivery!"

The bubbly proclamation came from Judy as she stepped out of the rain and back inside of her and her companion's apartment. In both paws, the doe carried a white box containing a half-dozen doughnuts, as well as a small paper bag that was on top of it. As she carefully set what she had been carrying down on the table, her fox naturally came strolling into the room from around the corner.

"And what do we have here?" Nick chimed, his eyes dotting over to the boxes laying idly on the table.

"I come bearing fried confections," Judy replied with a smirk.

The bunny opened up the box, and revealed the six various doughnuts that were nestled securely inside of it.

Nick quickly reached inside and started to munch on the doughnut he selected from it. Judy took out the glazed one from out of the box and took a bite out of it as well.

When she finished up the confection that she had in her paw, the rabbit informed, "This was basically all they had ready when I went over there." Judy grabbed the additional paper bag and set it to the side. "They _did_ , however, have some bagels on hand, so I got us a few of those, too."

"Did you make sure that they put lox on 'em?" Nick asked.

The rabbit looked at her companion, a tad confused by his somewhat-strange inquiry. "No, why?"

"I'm surprised, Fluff," the tod replied. "You should _always_ make sure that you put lox on them."

"And why's that?" Judy inquired.

The vulpine was now smirking widely. "So no one can take 'em. Why else?"

Judy didn't understand what he meant at first. However, after a short moment of silence, her mind finally understood his witty pun. She started shake her head and faintly laugh alongside him.

"Very funny, Slick," she said after her laughing died down.

"Maybe I should try pursuing comedy on the side," the fox remarked in reply. "Anyway, I _would_ ask what was on the itinerary for today, but that crappy weather's really puttin' a damper on things. Guess you could say that we'd have to take a _rain_ check on going out today."

Judy snickered once more at her companion's second usage of puns. "I didn't really have anything planned for today anyway," she said. "I guess I'd have to go and consult the list real quick. Maybe I'll get some ideas for when the weather's a little sunnier outside."

"The list, Carrots?" Nick asked

The doe walked out of the tod's sight, coming back not even a minute later with a small spiral notebook that had been flipped to certain page.

"Long story short: I got bored one night and decided to just jot down a little list of things to do," Judy said. "Used to make ones similar to this when I was young, and tried to do what I had wrote down when summertime rolled around."

She handed the notebook over to Nick, and his eyes started to scan what she had written upon the page. Some of the things that were listed appeared to be scratched out or had a checkmark beside them, indicating that they had been previously done. Others, however, were still yet to be done.

"Let's see what we have on here," he murmured as he read what was written out loud. "'See Savannah Central's big firework show,' 'Go kayaking in the Canal District.' Really like some of these ones so far. They sound like a lot of fun to me."

Judy took the notebook from out of his paws and started flipping through a few pages. "Here was a list I had written in here _awhile_ back," she informed, giving it back to him. "Thought you would like this."

Nick examined what was written on the top of this older page. The words "Find the Mammal of My Dreams" having been crossed out. At this, all that the vulpine could do was grin. Before he handed the notebook back, however, something unchecked on the page managed to catch his attention.

The vulpine read aloud, "'See a lighthouse?'"

Judy's ears perked up at him mentioning that in particular. "Oh, yeah," she muttered, "I completely forgot that I wrote that one on there. That one is… a pretty significant one to me. I've wanted to be able to check that one off for quite some time now."

"In that case, your wish is my command, Fluff," Nick replied. "If it's a lighthouse you wish to see, then it is a lighthouse I shall take you to." A clap of thunder reverberated nearby, causing both mammals to turn their heads and look out the window. "Whenever the rain decides to cut some slack, that is."

Judy laughed under her breath, walking up closer to her fox and giving him a gentle hug. "Thank you, Nick," she murmured.

* * *

 ** _A Few Days Later…_**

"All smiles" was definitely Nick's best ways to describe Judy's current mood. From the moment that they started to drive to their destination to the moment that they made paid for their admission, there was this broad smile that simply couldn't wiped off of her muzzle.

Nick and Judy kept climbing up the steps of the spiral staircase that continued to twist upward. Judging from the extra light that came shining in from above them, they could assume that there was only a little bit more walking left to do before they reached the top of the lighthouse.

Once they reached the very top of the structure, the two walked outside and observed the sights from the enclosed terrace.

The weather conditions, overall, were at their clearest, the clear horizon making it the best time for an activity such as the one they were doing. And they couldn't have picked a better time of the day to arrive, either. While the tourist attraction had its fair share of visitors, it definitely wasn't as packed as they both had originally anticipated it would be.

Mouth agape, Judy immediately walked over to the protective railing and gazed out at the panoramic watery views that surrounded her. Her ears took in the sounds of gulls, crying above her as they soared within the breeze. Looking downward, the doe observed just how high above the ground they truly were. Where they had previously started their walk up looked quite tiny from the height she was observing it from.

Nick stood right by his bunny's side, holding onto his phone as he tried to get at least a few good pictures of the unbeatable scenery. Afterwards, the two remained silent as they continued to look out

"These views…" Judy said. "They're amazing."

"My thoughts exactly, Carrots," Nick replied, claws tapping against rail in front of him. "My thoughts exactly."

"Now I can officially cross this one off of that list back home."

The fox turned his head to the right, emerald eyes now gazing at the smiling bunny standing beside him.

"You know," Judy breathed after a pause, "my grandmother always said that she wanted to see a lighthouse, but never got to. I would go over to her house and always see this little wooden craft she had that looked like one sitting on a table. So one day I asked her about why she had it, and she told me about how that that was something she wanted to do in her lifetime. It was her final wish to me that I see a lighthouse for her, so she could look down one day and see the smile on my face as I looked out at the water." A tear started taking formation in her amethyst eye, and she wiped it away as she continued to study the horizon. "That's… That's why seeing the lighthouse was so significant to me, and it's all thanks to you, Nick, that I could fulfill my grandmother's wish."

Smiling tenderly, the doe rested her small paw on top of the vulpine's. As she looked over to her right, Judy imagined her beloved grandmother standing beside her, humbly smiling in her favorite dress as she felt the gently-blowing wind coursing by.

"All right," Nick said after a minute. "Ready to start walking back down?"

The rabbit nodded. "Yep."

Right before they both went to turn around, the fox turned his phone on and opened the camera app. "But first we need a picture to remember the moment," he replied. Holding up the phone, he remarked, "Say 'Lighthouse!'"

Smiling for the camera, Judy giggled. "Lighthouse," she murmured.

 _Click!_

"That's a keeper, Fluff," Nick said.

With the picture now taken, and the memory associated with it now made, the pair said goodbye to the view and started their walk back down.


	46. It Was Just A Bad Dream

"Gah!"

A loud gasp slicing through the quiet of night, Judy jolted up from where she had previously been lying down. Placing her paws over her eyes, the gray doe took a moment to recollect her senses.

Although it had been a fairly good bit of time since of all of the dangerous events that the city threw at her came to pass, Judy still suffered from the occasional nightmare that just seemed to come along with all of it. It didn't matter if all of it was over and done, nor did it matter that they were completely safe and made it through of all of the peril.

It always seemed like the rabbit's subconscious mind was thinking all of the potential ways that each thing that happened could have went. With one change, whether it be very small or huge on a scale, everything could have took a turn for the worse.

Now wide awake, unable to just fall right back to sleep after the dream she had endured, the rabbit turned her head to the right. The bedroom was pitch black, the only halo of light was a minuscule nightlight that was plugged in near the hallway that lead to the other rooms.

Normally she would have been greeted by the sound of her fox snoring away to the right of her, but that was not the case this time around. There was no sign of him in the room beside her.

The sounds of clattering arose from the hallway, and with that the bunny pulled herself out of the bed to investigate what was going on. The moment she started to walk out, the bright glow of the refrigerator's appliance bulb coming from the kitchen caught her attention.

As she stepped into the kitchen, a paw crunched up against her eye as she rubbed it, she heard the fridge door being shut suddenly, and the bright glow went away.

Judy flicked the light switch beside her, being greeted by the sight of Nick with what appeared to be a sandwich that had almost been completely eaten in his paws. Scattered all over the kitchen counter behind him were the ingredients that Judy could only presume were what went into making what he was holding.

When he realized that his bunny was looking over at him, the tod placed the sandwich down on the blue paper plate beside him and looked back over at her.

"Oh, hey there, Carrots," he said with a quiet tone of voice.

"What are you doing out here?" Judy asked. "What is all this stuff you got out here?"

"Just a midnight snack," the vulpine replied. "You ever have of one of those before?"

The gray leporine shook her head. "No, but my brother's done that a couple of times before when we were kids."

After she spoke, the dream that she had just had came back to the doe's mind once again. Her head sagged downward and her ears started to droop.

Sensing that something appeared to be troubling her, Nick inquired, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," Judy responded.

The vulpine standing in front of her, however, knew quite better than that. "Something's on your mind, Fluff. Your ears are drooping."

The leporine looked back up at her fox. "I… It's just that I had a bad dream."

After a moment of silence between him and the rabbit, Nick asked in reply, "Do you remember what happened in it?"

"Very vividly," came Judy's response. Letting out a sigh, she said, "We were inside Cliffside, doing our investigation, but something went terribly wrong. There was a malfunction in the doors keeping all of those savage mammals we found inside, and all of them just ran out the moment they unlocked. They attacked the guards that tried to come in, and then they started chasing us when we started to run. And then…" The bunny's ears drooped once again.

"Then what happened?" Nick said, delicately placing his russet paw against the doe's cheek.

"I turned around and I saw that you weren't there. And…"

The tod pulled his bunny closer to him, wrapping his arms around her in an embracing hug. "It's okay, Carrots," he murmured. "There's nothing to worry about. It was just a bad dream."

"Thanks," Judy whispered softly to her fox, feeling comforted by his words. "I know it probably seems silly to you for me to be all worked up about a small dream, but-"

"Nonsense," Nick replied. "You don't know what silly means until you've been in one of _my_ dreams. In the one I just had the other night, a witch put a spell on our apartment that caused all of the furniture to start floating around."

Judy let out the lightest giggle at the concept of the vulpine's dream.

"That isn't even all of it, Fluff," the fox continued upon hearing her soft laughter. "When I told her to stop and make everything go back to normal, she zapped _us_ with a different kind of spell to transform and it backfired. I ended as a red-furred rabbit and you as a gray-furred fox."

"Gosh, that _is_ strange," the lagomorph chuckled.

Nick couldn't help but laugh alongside her. "Yeah, it sure was. That new book in the store that you were tellin' me about the other day probably had somethin' to do with it."

Judy turned back around and started to make her way back to bed. "Well, I'm gonna head on back in and try to get some rest. Thank you for cheering me up."

Nick nodded his head. "Anytime. And remember: If you ever need to tell me about anything, whatever it might be, I'll be right here to listen to you."

And when he said those promising words to his beloved bunny, he meant them with all of his heart.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey there, everyone! Geez, it's been awhile since I wrote a small story like this one. Been working another writing project here that's been capturing a good bit of my attention. But I decided to take a break from that for just a moment and write this out.**

 **Also had another idea that I wanted to share: Since Halloween is comin' up before we know it, what would y'all think if I did a few short stories with a bit of a horror element to them. Nothing _too_ intense or graphic that would have Judy exclaiming "Blood! Blood! And Death!" over, but just something that manages to make whoever's reading it say, "Oooh, that was creepy."** **What say you?**

 **As always, let me know what you guys think. Your feedback, good and bad, is gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time! :)**


	47. Mirror Image

_Tap. Tap._

The sounds of something small rapping against glass was keeping him awake. His ears perking upon hearing it, Nick scoped the room. Nothing could be seen with his night vision.

"H-Hello?" he muttered in the quietest voice possible.

No response. No other noise responded to his call in the darkness.

He picked up her phone and clicked it on to look at the time, seeing that it was only 2:42 AM.

This hadn't been the first time that he heard a sound that had awakened him from his slumber, though. It hadn't even been twenty minutes before this when he heard the exact same noise.

Telling himself once again that there was nothing there, he turned himself around and squeezed onto the paw of the gray rabbit who, surprisingly, was sleeping soundly through the knocking sounds that disturbed his sleep. Normally it was the other way around, but not this time.

 _Tap. Tap._

Just when his eyelids were ready to close, he heard the peculiar noise and picked his head back up again.

 _Where the heck is that knocking coming from?_ Nick asked himself. _It ain't comin' from the windows in here, so where is it?_

The vulpine slowly got himself in an effort to not disturb Judy from her sleep. He then tiptoed out of the bedroom and walked out towards where the other rooms of their new home was, his paws pattering against the cold tile flooring. He carefully maneuvered his way around the cardboard moving boxes, ready to be unpacked in the morning, that were scattered around the area.

On the wall on his right was a side portrait of a portly bear with a forlorn expression on his face hanging on a nearby wall. It had been there since he and Judy had arrived, as if it had been left by the others that lived here before them, but he didn't bother to question it.

 _Tap… Tap…_

He heard it again, but the thump sounded slower and closer in range. It had sounded like it came from a bathroom that was coming up on his right. The thing that was eerie about that was that the room had no windows. The only glass that could have been knocked on was the mirror that was beside the sink.

That was when his mind went back to what the elderly hippo two doors down from their new abode told them as he was moving boxes in. He couldn't remember everything that he had heard her say to him, but he _did_ recollect something about some ghost that could still be spotted on occasion within the house. If remembered things correctly, she said something about how the figure of a young bear still could be seen, and that she had seen it in a mirror with her own eyes when she was watching the place for the property's previous owners.

He didn't even bother to tell Judy about it when he heard it; he had thought of it as nothing more than nonsense being sprouted by an old mammal. But now he wasn't so sure. A part of his brain was actually thinking that the hippo might have been telling the truth, and that she wasn't crazy when she said that stuff to him.

He slowly crept towards the room where the tapping had been coming from all along.

 _Tap…_

What he heard next was the sounds of youthful giggling, similar to the kind kits make when they are up to no good. The noise of the small laughing sent a shiver down the fox's spine.

Nick turned his head to the side as he took a few steps back. When he looked back at the windowless room that he heard the sounds coming from, he saw the figure of a grinning brown bear, who appeared to be no older than the age of six, in the bathroom's mirror. What he was seeing with his own eyes basically matched the hippo's description. Despite no one else being in there to create such a reflection, it was as visible as ever.

The fox gasped under his breath and pit-a-patted away from the area. But as he making his way back from where he had walked rom, Nick wasn't sure what was creepier: The mysterious apparition he just saw in the mirror, or the fact that the portrait of the bear looking to the side now appeared to be staring directly at him.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey there, readers!** **With Halloween right around the corner, what's better to do than write a story that's on the spooky side? So that's exactly what I just did! Nothing _too_ overbearingly scary, but just something to get me in the Halloween spirit. :)**

 **Hope you enjoyed this little story of mine.** **I might try to do another short but spooky story that's just like this. Maybe, maybe not.**

 **As always, let me know your thoughts. Your feedback, good and bad, is always gladly** **appreciated.**

 **'Til next time! :D**


	48. The Coyote in the Woods

"We made it to the campgrounds!" Judy remarked.

As they got closer and closer to their destination, the four mammals that were trekking along started to smile with relief. Up until the moment they reached the location that was in mind, those who were walking behind the rabbit in front of them were concerned that they had been traveling in circles. However, Judy's sense of direction made sure they didn't get lost in the middle of the preserve.

Behind the doe was none other than Nick, and behind him was Delgato and Clawhauser (who looked like he was more than just exhausted).

Once they officially reached the grounds, their walking came to a stop and the four started to work on the assembly of their camping equipment. After all of that was done, they all decided to take their loads off. The only sound they could hear was the crickets chirping in the night and nothing more.

"Thanks for offering to bring me on the trip with you guys," Clawhauser said.

"Don't mention it," Nick replied. "Carrots and I've been wantin' to check this place out for awhile now, and we just thought you and Delgato should come along, too."

"And this is such a cozy spot," Judy chimed in.

Nodding his head in agreement, Delgato said, "It sure is. I've wanted to go camping here for long time as well." He let out a small sigh. "But... let's just pray that we don't end up encountering any of those ghosts that I read about."

Nick, Judy, and Benjamin all turned their heads in the lion's direction, curious as to what he was talking about.

"Ghosts?" the cheetah of the group inquired, sounding a tad spooked. "In this park? When did you read about this?"

Delgato replied, "When I was reading about this place online, I ended up stumbling on an article about it that was written by some paranormal enthusiast. It said that a lot of campers reported that they saw and heard something strange wandering around the campsites at night."

Clawhauser, who now appeared to be spooked, asked, "What do they mean by something strange?"

"From what I remember reading," the lion continued, "there's a legend about this place surrounding the spirit of a coyote who can be spotted here. He was part of a tribe that occupied the land a long time ago, and that he had been cursed by some evil spirits. The thing I read said that he could shape-shift, assuming any form in order to trick unsuspecting mammals when he's creeping around. Only to-"

"Okay, I think I get the idea," Benjamin interrupted with a shudder. "I surely hope that's just a made-up story. If I saw something like that, that would probably frighten the heck outta me. You guys know I don't do well with scary things."

"Amen, Clawhauser," Nick added. "I felt a shiver run down my spine just imagining it."

"Alright, you three," Judy said. "I'd say that's enough scary stories for the night. How about we all try and get some shut-eye?"

At the doe's proposition, the fox replied, "Good idea, Fluff. And maybe we'll check out that other path towards the water in the morning. Want to check that out before we leave for home in the afternoon."

"Sounds good, Nick," the leporine responded. "We head over there first thing in the morning."

As the four mammals got themselves ready to get some sleep for the rest of the night, a distant noise of something rustling arose and caused them all to start looking around in curiosity.

"Guys, tell me I'm not the only one that heard that," Benjamin muttered, sounding a bit nervous. The story that Delgato just shared with them fresh in his mind, his first thought was that it was the coyote out of the legend that caused the sound.

"Was it a bristling kind of noise?" Nick asked in reply.

"Yep." Clawhauser nodded.

"Pretty sure all of us heard somethin' like that," the fox responded. Turning his head to Judy and Delgato, he asked, "Right, guys?"

The bunny and the lion both nodded their heads in agreement.

"Was probably just a bird or somethin' in the bushes out there," Delgato stated, a sense of assurance to his voice. "Nothin' worth making a huge fuss about. We _are_ camping out in the middle of nature preserve, after all."

" _Or_ it was the coyote from the story you told us," the cheetah of the four proposed. "Didn't you say that you read about him comin' out at nighttime?"

"I know, but-" Judy started to say, but was interrupted by the unknown susurration coming from the distance.

"There's that sound again," Nick announced, pointing out the obvious.

"It's the ghost," Benjamin said in a paranoid tone of voice. "I'm thinking that's what's out there, guys."

The doe of the group looked at the scared cheetah and replied, "I'm pretty sure there's a logical explanation for what we're-"

"Momma?" an unknown voice, sounding as if it was choked up by tears, called out in the darkness. It was sounded as if it were crying out from the same place that the whooshing of the bushes came from.

"Uh, someone's out there, guys," Clawhauser stated.

"It sounds like a young child," Delgato replied. "I think somebody got lost out here." The lion grabbed the backpack laying on the ground, pulled out a small light from one of its compartments, and set it back down where he got it. He started to walk a few steps away from their campsite and towards the darkness, gesturing for the three behind him to follow him. "Come on, guys. We should probably go help him."

The lion had been a charitable mammal most of his life, always participating in any activity that he knew would be beneficial to those in need. Whether he was volunteering at the soup kitchen, purchasing toys to donate to charities around the holidays for underprivileged kits, or just helping a mammal out whenever they needed it, it always made him smile whenever he did some sort of good deed. And helping a child who lost his way was no exclusion from the list of kind acts he would do.

Nick and Judy started to walk up to where he was standing, and, hesitantly, Clawhauser stepped forward as well. The four strolled in silence, guided by nothing but the small light.

"Momma!" the mysterious, youthful voice cried aloud another time. Judging by the fact that it was more audible this time around, they assumed they were getting closer to whoever was lost out here.

"Hello?" Judy asked as they continued to walk forward. "Anyone out here?"

The sounds of something darting away to their left was the only response that the four of them received. Delgato leading them walked towards the trees and various plants that were native to the land that outlined the passage. As he got closer, he saw the figure of a small mongoose peaking its head around from behind one of the trees.

"I can't find Momma," the frightened child choked. "I don't where to go."

"It's okay," the lion said in the most reassuring voice possible, extending a paw outward. "I'll help you find your mother."

The mongoose was a tad hesitant about coming out from behind where he was hiding, but he eventually stepped forward.

"Now where would your mother be?" Delgato inquired.

The child looked around at his surroundings before pointing a paw forward. "We're down there. On the right, I think."

The lion nodded. "You guys must be located at somewhere near the other campgrounds, then."

And so they all strolled along, going in the direction that the mongoose kid was telling them to go. The path started to get wider on both sides, and the area got a little more spacious after they made a right. However, when they reached the spot that the kid was directing them to go to, they saw that the section of the campgrounds was completely bare. There was absolutely no sign whatsoever that this part of the preserve was occupied.

"Doesn't look anyone's here," Delgato said to the child standing on his left side. "You sure we went the right way?"

Not a word was said in response. Instead, the kid simply walked towards the empty campsite with his back turned away from the others. He turned himself around after a few seconds of silence, grinning at the four mammals in an almost-sinister fashion.

"You were foolish enough to follow me here," the mongoose said. "You must know not that this is where I still roam."

"Wait, what?" Nick muttered, unsure of the very unusual words he had just heard. Then his mind went back to the legend Delgato told them about before all of this happened.

The young mongoose looked up at the skies above, spreading his arms out wide and exclaiming, " _Transformatio!_ "

After this utterance was made, a cloud of smoke encompassed the small figure standing within the campsite. Once the shadow dissipated, the figure of a tall coyote with a disfigured complexion stared at them. The second it let out a snarl, the four campers looked at it in a state of pure shock.

"I knew it," Clawhauser muttered, starting to shiver at what he and the others just witnessed. His words came out of his mouth in a rushed fashion from the fright coalescing inside of him. "I freakin' knew it. What do we do now?"

Trying to remain as calm as he possibly could, Delgato replied, "I think we all know the answer to that."

* * *

Fleeing in retreat from something that caused one fear wasn't always a favored option, as some believed it made them look cowardly. But doing exactly that seemed like the best possible option at the moment.

Deep within the unknown path he was running down, the dark of night was making it a bit harder for them to focus. But there was no need to focus on anything else except for one thing, and that was getting as far away as possible from the coyote that was staright out of the legend Delgato read about.

The four continued to propel himself through the darkness, breathing steadily as they proceeded. The coyote was beginning to creep forward from behind him. But if he were being honest, he was under the impression that this thing was watching him with intentions that were obviously no good. While curiosity was bubbling inside to look back, they knew that this would be the wrong thing to do so.

Nick, Judy, and Delgato continued to sprint forward at their hurried pace, the sound of various objects crunching under his paws. Lagging a few inches behind them but sill very much running for safety was Clawhauser, who was becoming out of breath due to all of this running he was doing. The cheetah was making his was to safety alongside the others, but ended up tripping on some unidentified object in the dark. Within seconds, poor Benjamin found himself meeting the ground with a hard thump. It was the worst thing that could occur at this given time, but it happened much to the his dismay.

The large spotted feline tried to pick himself back up again, but he couldn't. For some unknown and uncanny reason, he just couldn't move. He was using every muscle in his body to get off of the ground, but he couldn't move a single inch. It was as if something invisible was keeping him pinned down to the ground. All he could truly do was lay where he was on the ground, completely terrified.

"Come on!" Clawhauser was yelling to himself, the sound of his voice echoing within the total darkness of the forest. While he couldn't move any of the other muscles within his body, his mouth was obviously not affected.

"Ben!" Nick and Judy exclaimed at the same time.

"Get up!" Delgato shouted.

"I can't!" Benjamin said back in frustration. "It's like I'm stuck to the ground!"

It was right then and there that the four of them started to see the coyote approaching them. Laughter started to come from the canid, and not the merry kind that was pleasant to the ears.

The disfigured coyote started to whisper something that was incomprehensible, as if it were being said in a language unknown to them. Just then a little bit of luminescence coalesced in front of the ghostly canid, scintillating and grayish in color.

A grunt pierced through the night, and the next thing Clawhauser saw was that little gray beam of light speedily traveling in his direction. The cheetah braced for the unknown light's impact and squinted his eyes, thinking that it was going to hurt or sting the moment that it bristled against his fur. The moment he blinked was the moment that it disappeared, and he let out a shallow breath.

However, it was when Benjamin's eyes darted downward that he noticed that something completely unexplainable was happening to him. He looked at his foot paws, noticing that they were no longer their usual orangish color and were turning the tint of gray that that beam of light was. His breaths got faster as he watched whatever was happening to him spread up his legs, reaching his torso and the attire that he was wearing. It looked to him as if the bottom half of his body was turning into a statue made from some sort of metamorphic rock.

As he felt what was happening to him move up towards his shoulders, Clawhauser quickly turned his head to the others and shouted, "Go on while you can!"

Just when he had finished saying those words, Benjamin had become an idle statue of himself.

A round of cackling filled the air, coming from none other than the coyote. "Solid as a rock," his raspy voice muttered, its tone more than capable of sending a shiver down any mammal's spine.

Nick, Judy, and Delgato had been frozen with fear by what they just witnessed, but quickly turned away and went back to attempting an escape from the canid that had no known name. They thought they were managing to get away from it, but they realized they weren't when Nick quickly looked back and saw what they darting away from was _actually_ getting closer.

The coyote spread his arms out wide, and the three mammals found themselves being thrusted up into the air upon him doing so. They all flew back in different directions. As they all tried to pick themselves up again in retreat, they heard a snarl. Shortly afterwards, the mysterious mammal extended his paws outward, and three beams of gray light, equal to what had turned Clawhauser to stone, traveling in the direction of the unlucky three. What followed was them becoming statues, exactly how the cheetah did.

Silence filled the air. After a momentary pause, the coyote exclaimed a second time, " _Transformatio!_ "

The very second that the utterance was made, smoke surrounded his figure once again and he felt his form start to quickly shift. The shape that he now found himself taking was that of a deer, a mammal that would appear innocent and unsuspicious, in the typical camper's attire. He glanced at his hooves, down at his long, powerful-looking legs, and behind him at his tail that was now diminutive in appearance. As they caught the noisiness of the nighttime locusts, the long ears of his newly-taken form perked up.

Turning around back, he walked back into the deep forest passage that he had previously came from with a wide grin.

* * *

"The campers were never heard from again, and the mysterious mammal continued to roam around the forest in another form, waiting patiently for its next victim. The end."

As Nick finished spinning the scary story he had thought up, his friends that were sitting around him started to applaud him, Judy being the first to clap. The fox and his bunny, as well as some of their friends from the precinct were gathered at Clawhauser's place for the Halloween party that he invited them to.

The cheetah was a big fan of Halloween and enjoyed some of the aspects that came with the annual observance. And the party he was currently hosting truly showed how much he was in the spirit of the holiday. Decorations colored in the traditional black and orange were visible in just about every corner of the living room, as well as an assortment of various small props—streamers, felt spiders, and the like—that complimented the theme of the party.

Now they all sat congregated in the living room, each of them telling a scary story for the evening.

"That was a _great_ one, Nick," Clawhauser applauded. "Even better than the story Wolford told about the creepy doll."

"Thanks, Ben," the fox replied. "Glad ya think so."

Looking around the space from the chair he was sitting in was Delgato. He was seated next to the doorway that lead to the other room. "Speakin' of Wolford, where the heck did he go?" he asked.

The vulpine looked over at the lion and replied, "Do you dare to turn around?"

Delgato cocked his head at the fox's remark in confusion. "What are you talkin' about, Wilde."

"Turn around and see for yourself. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

The lion set his plastic cup of soda down beside him and turned his head around, still unsure of where Nick was going with this. He looked at the empty hallway for a few seconds, but nothing was there.

Without any warning, Wolford jumped out from around a room in the corner, away from vision, with a mask on and his paws extended out in front of him. This caused a startled Delgato to let out a frightened gasp that just about everybody in the room could hear.

The timber wolf laughed as he took the cheap mask he was wearing off of his face, pointing a paw at him. "You should've seen the way you jumped," he told the lion.

"Dammit, Wolford!" Delgato said. "You about gave me a heart attack!"

"Oh, don't be such a party pooper," the wolf replied.

Nick leaned back in his chair and started to laugh out loud, a few others letting out some additional chuckles alongside him. "I knew he'd react like that. I just knew it."

Now that the little shenanigan the fox had devised was over, Wolford walked over and found himself a spot on the couch to sit in.

The single ding of a kitchen timer caught everybody's attention, and Clawhauser arose from his seat. "They're ready!" he announced with excitement in his voice.

"What's ready?" Nick and Judy said in unison. Realizing they both were thinking the same thing at the same time, they pointed a paw at one another and proclaimed, "Jinx!"

Benjamin dashed over to the kitchen as quick as he could, pulled out a parchment-lined baking sheet from out of his fridge, and placed what had been cooling on it onto an orange serving tray.

"I put a spooky twist on a family recipe," the spotted feline said as he slowly walked back into the living room. "Any of you ever had a buckeye before?" When he saw that most of them were nodding their heads, he added, "Well I decided to dip them in white chocolate and add some toppings to make them look like eyeballs."

Everyone got a closer look at the little desserts Clawhauser made when he walked closer towards them. Along with being coated in the white chocolate he mentioned, a little colored, button-shaped candy rested in the middle of each of them.

Setting the tray down on the coffee table by his side, Benjamin remarked with a smile, "Help yourselves, guys."

And just about everybody there did exactly that.

The looks on the faces of the mammals that took a bite of the Halloween-themed treats was proof to the party's host that were as delectable as he thought they would be.

"Okay," Judy said, breaking the short moment of silence. "It's my turn to tell a scary story. This one's about a strange trench that leads to somewhere terrifying."

"Ooooh," several voices chorused upon the lagomorph mentioning what the tale was going to be about.

"I'm all ears, Carrots," Nick replied to the leporine with a smile.

The gray doe nodded to her fox and started to tell the story. "It all started late one night, when two ordinary mammals ended up stumbling across an eery piece of land…"


	49. We've Got Company!

"Whew, what a day," the brown-furred rabbit said with a tired sigh.

After working outside with the crops in the beating heat for the last few hours, the only thing that Stu Hopps had in mind was heading inside to recline in his chair and perhaps watch the upcoming baseball game.

Wiping the sweat that was starting to trickle down the side of his face, he started to approach the front door, noticing a decorative burlap wreath hanging on it that hadn't been there when he stepped out to work.

Stu took a step inside. "Honey, I'm-"

The first thing the rabbit saw upon walking back into the living room was his wife, Bonnie, running around hurriedly as she inspected basically everything that surrounded them. Some of their children that still lived with them on the farm were scattered in different directions. A few of them were busily cleaning the kitchen and other surrounding rooms. Another vacuumed as others focused primarily on picking up some things that were laying stray on the floor.

"Thanks for helping, guys," a familiar voice said, sounding somewhat exhausted.

Bonnie ran over to where the couch was located, proceeding to fluff the throw pillows that rested on the sides of it even though they looked just fine. A young buck, no older than six years old, came up to her and successfully caught her attention.

"Mom, can you help me?" he asked, handing her his plastic spring toy that had become tangled. After he was quickly helped out with his problem, he added, "Do you wanna play, Mom?"

"I'm so sorry, dear, but Momma's busy right now," Bonnie replied. "Go see if your brother'll play with you. Your Uncle Nick is gonna be comin' here soon, too."

Once the buck ran up the stairs to go back to playing, she went back to getting the living room even more organized than it already was, another one of the children came running up to her.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say y'all we're runnin' around 'cause a twister was comin'," Stu remarked. "What's goin' on?"

"Judy just called not even a few minutes ago," his wife responded. "She and Nick'll be arriving here a lot sooner than she first said was gonna be. I gotta have this whole burrow lookin' spick and span in less than an hour! Was _not_ expecting them to be coming over so early."

"This place already looks pretty clean to me."

Running over to the staircase, Bonnie replied, "If there's one thing I remember my mother always tellin' me, it's that there's always something in house that can be a little bit neater. If she were here right now, she'd be sayin' the same thing."

"Then is there anyway I can lend a paw 'round here, sweetheart?"

After making sure that the small painting on the wall that was near the stairs was level, Stu's wife informed, "As a matter of fact, there _is_ somethin' you can help me with. Follow me to the dining room table real quick."

Stu followed her as she walked over to the table where they usually ate their supper. "Alright, what do I do?"

"I need you to get on the other side of this and help me move it just a little bit," Bonnie informed. She looked up at the decorative ceiling light that was lit above them. "The table's not fully centered with that light, and we can't have that."


	50. The Aquatic Fox of Bunnyburrow

The heat almost seemed debilitating as the four children approached the spacious body of water. Upon getting a closer observation of it, they saw that it was quite murky in appearance, and other than the few fish faintly seen swimming about, there was rarely any movement in it. The only sound the children could really hear was the sound of the birds as they sang happily from the pines in the far distance.

The hyena cub of the group quickly put on the blue-colored swimming goggles he had brought with him, adjusting them slightly so the nose cover was where he needed it to be. He slowly walked over towards the cloudy-looking water and placed a paw in it.

"Water's not too bad," he informed to the three behind him. "Temperature of it is still cooler than this beating heat, I'll tell ya that much." The hyena pointed to the porcupine and margay behind him. "Celia, Sawyer, you ready?"

The two he had called out to stepped forward and joined him at his sides. The fourth mammal of the group, a pig with white fur and gray spots, sat down on the dirt ground and placed his hooves on his knees.

"Hey," Celia the porcupine called to the pig, "you gonna join us or what?"

Shaking his head, the pig replied, "I'm staying up here, guys. I'm scared to go in there. What if the 'Aquatic Fox' is swimmin' around in that water?"

"The what?" Sawyer the margay asked. Turning his head to the hyena, he inquired, "Levi, what the heck's he talkin' 'bout?"

Levi replied, "Just some bullcrap myth goin' around 'bout some fox-lookin' creature with gills and what not that lurks in the lake." Looking over at the scared one of the four, he remarked, "Pua, don't tell me you _actually_ believe in all of that garbage."

The white pig responded, "I really do, though. Austin said that _he_ saw it one night, and he wouldn't lie about-"

The hyena snickered. "Don't make me laugh," he scoffed. "you mean to tell me that your takin' the word of that wimpy _armadillo_? What would that dork know about this stupid legend? Just like you, he always curling into a ball at the first sign of danger. But, whatever, you suit yourself." Looking over at both Sawyer and Celia, he asked, "Come on, you two. Let's go enjoy the water while Mr. Worrywart over there sits around like a bump on a log."

* * *

For a good bit of time, Levi and his two friends swam around in the lake's water in silence, propelling themselves to where it started to get deeper. The hyena had always thought that swimming, no matter where it was taking place, was an enjoyable activity, and he felt like he could swim in this tranquil area forever.

The water was a bit cloudy and not there wasn't much to see, but it didn't stop him and his friends from enjoying their leisurely activity.

His mind returning back to what he heard a little bit ago about that stupid legend, he mentally snickered. _Seriously?_ he thought. _The Aquatic Fox? What a bunch of malarky that is! There's not a freakin' soul in this water except us and some stupid little fish._

Just then did the trio see a large shadow brush past in the distance, swimming faster than anything he had seen before. Sawyer and Celia came to a halt and started to swim back a few spaces, kicking her paws to stay afloat as they looked around for whatever it was that they all saw.

Absolutely nothing was there.

At this point, Levi mentally decided that it was best to shrug the whole thing off. The porcupine and margay behind him followed his lead as they made a right and made their way back to where they all started from. As they did so, they all saw that shadowy shape breezed passed the three of them once again.

Upon seeing how much closer it had gotten to them this time around, Celia was the first one to respond to it with a frightened reaction. Her instincts kicked in and she started to swim off in the other direction, leaving Levi and Sawyer behind.

They immediately followed her as she continued to dart away, the two felines remaining a good distance away from her as they did so. Not even a few seconds later, they both saw that Celia had come to a sudden halt.

That mysterious figure that was in the water, which seemed to be following them for reasons unknown, gave them a third startle as it scurried underneath them. It started to encircle the three friends where they currently were in the water. With the trio surrounded the figure made itself visible to their eyes.

What he and the others saw before them had the appearance of a vulpine, but also had some very unusual characteristics. The fox-looking creature, just like the speculations of its existence said it did, had a set of gills on its muzzle. Its russet-colored paws appeared to be webbed and unusually large. And most of all, its eyes almost seemed soulless as it stared at the three of them.

 _This can't be real,_ Levi thought. _The whole Aquatic Fox thing is just a myth. It_ can't _be real!_

But, much to his dismay, it was.

* * *

"Supposedly those three managed to get back to safety, and the whole legend went from a schoolyard rumor to an actual report in Bunnyburrow's newspaper. Looking back it all it seems really silly, but it sure managed to scare the heck outta me and some of my sisters when we were little."

Nick nodded his head, continuing to look at the sunlight's reflection against the water of the lake Judy brought him to. "Good thing that doesn't exist, Carrots. That'd be pretty scary."

The doe sitting beside got up from off of the grass on one knee and looked out at the glistening skies before walking back. "Alright, Slick," she said, "I'd say it's time we head on back to the farm."

The views in this particular spot in Bunnyburrow were pretty spectacular in Nick's eyes, and he felt the need to capture it in a picture. He pulled out his phone and snapped the best photo he could take. The vulpine started to walk alongside his bunny once again.

His eyes darted down towards the screen of his phone, which still showed him the picture that he just took a few seconds ago. Within the portion of the snapshot that showed the water, Nick saw something that looked a little bit unusual. He zoomed in, and what he saw made him let out a small gasp and his eyes widen in disbelief.

He swore to the gods that he clearly captured a red-furred and webbed paw sticking out from the water in that picture.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey there!** **Even though Halloween was a few days ago, I still found myself in the mood to write yet another story that had a bit of creepiness to it.**

 **The whole concept of the "Aquatic Fox" was _originally_ going to be a much-larger, full-fledged story of its own, but I decided to trim it down to this.**

 **'Til next time! :D**


	51. Attack of the Pumpkin Spice

The day couldn't get much better than it currently was. It was finally becoming cooler outside, and nothing but sunshine, which had previously eluded them due to rain, was blanketing the city with positivity.

Nick had a buoyant smile on his muzzle as he continued to drive home, and with a day as grand as this one there was no way that it could be wiped off of him. The radio was up and set to one of his and Judy's favorite tunes, and he couldn't help but find himself humming along to it despite hearing it many, many times before.

After it came to an end, the station started to play an advertisment for Snarlbuck's, urging listeners to try out their pumpkin spice lattes that were now available for a limited time.

That was when the expression on the fox's muzzle abruptly changed, and he rolled his eyes. While he really enjoyed autumn, that particular factor of the season was something he personally felt he could do without. Those overpriced coffee drinks infused with that fancy-schmancy pumpkin-flavored creamer had already been marketed to death. But the hype on pumpkin spice didn't just end at beverages and confections; just about every retail store that sold decor and the like had already put out more than a fair share of pumpkin related products.

Nick considered such a thing to be a bit overused, and by a bit he actually meant a lot, almost to where it became monotonous. _Heck, "Pumpkin Spice" is probably the blood type of some mammals at this point,_ he joked in his head.

Once he pulled up to home, he grabbed the brown paper bags containing the groceries his bunny asked him to get from the store. Realizing that the front door had already been unlocked for his convenience, he walked over and set the bags down.

"I'm back from the store, Carrots," the tod remarked. "You'll be happy to know that I double-checked the list this time to make sure I didn't forget any-"

It was just then that an unfortunately familiar aroma hit the vulpine's powerful nostrils like a jab from a boxer. The direct source of this scent came from the kitchen.

 _Pumpkin spice,_ he thought with a small sense of dread forming inside of him.

When he walked over towards the kitchen, he saw Judy reaching for something she was making in the oven. In her oven mitt-covered paws was a non-stick tray with six large, freshly-baked muffins inside of it.

"You came just in time to try these out," the gray bunny said with her usual amount of ebullience. "I thought I'd make batch of my aunt's recipe for pumpkin spice muffins." After she set the tray down to let what it contained cool, she added, "Didn't have all of the stuff to make the frosting that she used put on top of 'em, though. I think that pumpkin ice cream they started carryin' in the store would go just as good with them, too, but I totally forgot to mention it before you went there. Oh well, I guess I don't wanna overdo the whole pumpkin thing."

As the leporine started to let out a good laugh, Nick let out a chuckle under his breath that quickly died off. "Would you excuse me for a moment, Fluff?"

"No problem," Judy replied. She turned back around and started to take out one of the muffins and set it on a plate beside her.

As Nick stepped out of the kitchen and made his way towards the bedroom, away from all of the pumpkin spice that had surrounded him, he heard the sound of something being sprayed. He turned around to see that it was coming from one of those plug-in air fresheners that misted in the space whenever someone walked by.

However, as the spray that came from it filled the air, he quickly realized it was _also_ infused with the essence of pumpkin spice.

 _Even the freakin' air refreshers!_ he exclaimed in his head. _There's no escaping this stuff!_

* * *

 **Author's Note: With pumpkin spice everything being so popular and hyped-up right now due to the season, I decided to write this story out. Pretty silly, I know, but it just fell into my head and I just needed to write it.**

 **As always, let me know what your thoughts were on this silly little story of mine. Your thoughts, good and bad, are always gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time, everybody! :D**


	52. Volleyball Match

"How about a doubles match? The losing team pays for the other team's drinks over at the concession stand."

That was how the little match that they found themselves in originated. And with the friendly bet that was placed at the beginning of it by a certain bunny with a competitive personality, they were equally trying to be the ones to be declared the victors.

Now it was only a little bit of time before the match they started came to its conclusion.

The white volleyball firmly in his grasp, Nick looked at his doe teammate, who remained positioned to the right of him. Judy quickly glanced over at him, anticipating the moment that her vulpine companion served the ball to the other team.

On the other side of the net was Jack and Skye, the second pairing of both fox and rabbit that they were competing against. The striped jackrabbit in black swimming trunks and the white-furred vixen in a turquoise-colored bikini stared back at them. The facial expression on both of their muzzles showing a visible amount of anticipation.

Shifting his paws against the beach's soft, gold-hued sand, Nick put on a grin as he looked back the pair. His tail now wagging, the russet fox ran up a little bit, hurling the slightly worn volleyball into the air and smacking it towards Jack and Skye with as much force as he could.

The tod's serve, however, was salvaged from hitting the ground. And when the ball started to come back towards him, Nick and Judy both, thinking on impulse, slid in an effort to prevent from touching the sand below them, but were too late at doing so.

Another point added to Jack and Skye's current score. And with that both teams found themselves in a tie.

 _It's anybody's game now,_ Judy thought.

After getting back up on her paws, the gray bunny was next to serve the ball, sending both fox and rabbit teams back into action. When the volleyball approached Skye on the other side of the net, she ended up returning it with a spike that was practically flawless.

Judging from how well and how skilled she played throughout the match, it was evident that this wasn't the vixen's first time when it came to playing this sport. It was pretty clear that she had experience in playing it before, presumably in an earlier time of her life.

As the ball spiraled a good height up in the air, Nick leaped up and smacked it in Jack's direction. The striped buck ran back a few paces and threw his body towards the ground in an attempt to keep the match going. He succeeded at doing so and ended up weakly spiking it up in the air. Skye, who was positioned in front of him, delivered the ball back to Judy.

With a determined, competitive grin shimmering against her muzzle, the lagomorph hopped upward and hit the volleyball back to the other team as hard as she possibly could, sending it curving a little bit to the left.

Jack and Skye rushed in its direction to save it from suddenly hitting the ground, but they weren't quick enough. It landed against the mounds of sand with a thud.

The match between the two teams officially concluded, with Nick and Judy being the winners of it.

Catching her breath for just a brief moment, the gray rabbit wiped the few droplets of sweat that were starting to run down her forehead. She turned her head over to her left to see her fox walking over in her direction.

"Great job, Fluff," Nick complimented, lifting a paw up as he and Judy exchanged a high-four with one another.

The bunny smiled back at the vulpine, and the two turned their heads towards Jack (who carried the volleyball in his paws) and Skye.

As she and her jackrabbit companion approached them, the vixen remarked, "Good game."

"You never told me or Carrots how skilled you were at playin' volleyball," Nick chimed.

With a smile, Skye replied, "I was actually on a female volleyball team for a little while back when I was in high school. Guess you could say that some of my old skills never faded."

"Skye actually ended up teachin' me a little bit about it as well," Jack added. "We've only played against each other on a few occasions, so this is my first time playing a doubles match."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a young voice calling for someone, saying something about how an order that someone had placed was now ready. The source of it was the speaker that was placed within the small tiki-looking establishment that was in the corner of their vision.

In that direction was none other than the concession stand that served tropical drinks and some food. To be more specific, it was the one that Judy had in mind when the wager was placed before their volleyball match started.

"That reminds me, Jack," Judy said. "You remember the wager before we started, right?"

He first couldn't recall what the doe was talking about, but once he remembered it, Jack's eyes started to widen. _Oh dear,_ he thought, _I had forgotten all about that._

A paw pointing towards the stand in the distance, the gray bunny remarked, "To the tiki bar we go, everybody!"


	53. Bowling Night

"Okay, third time's a charm. Here goes nothin'…"

Judy's concentration was centered solely towards the skill crane, watching the claw as it moved around with every movement from the machine's joystick. After directing it to the spot within the glass enclosure that she wanted to be in, she pressed a paw on the small red button that to the left her.

The claw dropped into the kerfuffle of small plush toys once again, and it started to rise up a few seconds later with a blue bunny plush partially in its grasp. The doe started to get excited for a short moment, but the enthusiasm dissipated when the machine's prize fell from out of the claw before she could win it.

As the stuffed bunny fell onto a plush toy that looked like a yellow duckling, Judy's ears started to droop slightly.

"And we almost had it that time," Nick said as he watched the claw machine reset itself in preparation for the next player. "It's almost like they got this thing set up so you _can't_ win."

"Probably the best-case scenario," Judy replied. "Wish I could win that one for my youngest sister, though. My mom was just tellin' me how she wanted a stuffed bunny just like that one for Christmas, and they couldn't find one anywhere."

"Clawhauser's probably got everything all set up for us," the vulpine beside her remarked, "so we better join him and the others."

With a nod of her head, Judy followed her fox as they walked out of where all of the games were and out towards the where the bowling alley was located.

Nick had talked about heading back to the nearby fun center to go bowling for quite some time. After stopping and soon enough, they had made plans to head back for an evening of fun. However, after overhearing said plans, some of their friends started to ask if they could tag along. What followed was all of them agreeing on getting together for a good time at the bowling alley.

* * *

"We should _totally_ think of a team name for us," Nick suggested once more as Clawhauser finished putting their names in their lane's system that displayed scores above them.

Judy's response to the vulpine's little proposition was a tiny snicker and a shake of her head.

"C'mon, Fluff. Making a team name up'll make things even funner."

"Funner isn't even a word, Slick."

"Anywho, just hear me out a sec on some ideas. What do ya think of 'Time to Spare?'"

"I'll admit, that's a clever one. Kinda punny, though."

"Puns are my specialty, Carrots. You could say they're right up my _alley_." After a brief moment of silence, the fox continued, "Or how about ' _Spare_ Change?'"

"If it was between the two, my vote would probably be on the other one."

"'On _Strike_?'"

At the team name possibility, Judy shook her head.

"'Big Zoobowski?'" the tod suggested.

"If I'm aloud to comment on the whole team name debate," Wolford said as he approached Nick, "I'd like to submit a suggestion of my own. What's your thoughts on 'Mortal Pins?'"

Nick snapped his fingers in agreement. "That's perfect!" he remarked. "It's a nice play on words but it has a little bit of a mysterious feeling to it."

"My thoughts exactly, Wilde," the wolf replied. "My thoughts exactly."

From behind the three mammals that were talking with one another, Clawhauser waved a large paw in the air to get their attention. When they looked over in his direction, he said, "I've got our names on the screen over here. You guys ready to start?"

"Absolutely," Nick and Judy replied in unison.

"Let's get started!" Clawhauser chimed with excitement, getting up from his little seat and walking up to the others.

Occupying the lane that was only one to the right of theirs, the second team of four mammals, consisting of Fangmeyer, Delgato, Snarlov, and Grizzoli, showed their enthusiasm to start bowling.

* * *

Nick stepped forward and swung the green bowling ball, watching as it clamored to the ground and continued to roll down the alley. This would be his second roll and four pins remained standing, positioned to the left.

The bowling ball swerved slightly to the right, but it managed to crash into the pin that was closest in range, causing all but one of the them tumble over.

"Ooooh, close but no cigar," Nick muttered out loud. "Oh well."

The fox took a few steps back as Snarlov approached his lane.

The polar bear in the lane to the right of the others gripped onto his bowling ball, sending it flying down the lane. What resulted was him knocking down every pin except for the leftmost and rightmost ones in the back row.

Achieving a spare with a split such as this one was a considerably difficult task, but he was going to try his best regardless. It was just a friendly game between friends, after all, and not a competition that involved some sort of wager or prize.

When it came to this bowling scenario, success was only possible if a pin was struck in the proper spot to cause it to slide towards the other one and knock it down. And that was exactly what he was attempting to do.

Snarlov focused briefly on where he wanted the ball to go. After a few seconds went by, he swung it in such a manner that it went towards the pin on the right. The ball, unfortunately, didn't slide to the other one like he anticipated, but it was worth a shot.

He wasn't a bowling champion that could pick up a spare like that easy-peasy, after all. This was, honestly, the first time he stepped paw in a bowling alley in years.

The bear walked back over to where the others were watching him, slapping paws with Delgato.

Meanwhile, in the adjacent lane, Wolford prepared to roll the ball he had clutched firmly in his left paw. Upon rolling it, he managed to swiftly knock down six of the ten pins in the lane. Nick, Judy, and Clawhauser clapped behind him as he waited for the machine to his side to retrieve the ball to where he was standing.

Once it came back to him, the canid, rolled a second time, trying to make the ball go to the left in an attempt to knock down the pins he didn't strike down the first time. However, the ball ended up traveling a little too far to the left, resulting in it falling into the gutter with a small clanging sound.

 _Not bad,_ the wolf thought as he shrugged his shoulders.

As he turned his back from the lane, it became Grizzoli's turn. Turning his head in Wolfords direction, he put on a small but visible grin. "Wolf versus wolf," he jokingly remarked, looking back at the lane in front of him.

A few seconds passed, with him looking as if he were in a deep state of concentration. The white wolf slowly stepped forward, careful not to place the paw in front of him over the lane's foul line. He rolled the ball with a good bit of force. All ten pins ended up being raucously mowed down, and Grizzoli pumped a fist in the air at his accomplishment.

"Woo-hoo!" he exclaimed as the others behind him clapped.

Wolford looked over at him, unsure of how this mammal was this good at bowling. "I don't know how you do it," he ended up muttering. "How do you manage to get strikes so _easily_? You managed to get on both of your turns."

"Practice, my fellow wolf," Grizzoli responded. "Lots and lots of practice."

"You sure ya don't got some kind of trick up your sleeve, Grizzoli?"

The white-furred canid tugged at the side of the plain black tank top he was wearing. "You can't have any tricks up your sleeve when the shirt your wearin' is sleeveless."

Wolford let out a snicker at the little joke that he just received. "Har, har," he muttered.

* * *

"My turn!" Clawhauser said enthusiastically.

The large cheetah's first roll, unfortunately, didn't get too far, as it ended up rolling to the right gutter before it could even reach any of the pins. On his second attempt, however, he made up for that happy accident by knocking down eight pins, missing the remaining two by mere inches. This little game marked the first time he ever played at an alley with multiple players, and, although his performance wasn't exactly the best, he was having a blast.

Meanwhile, to the side of the spotted feline, Judy watched as Delgato took his turn. Shortly afterwards, the gray doe felt a poke against her shoulder.

As she turned around, she looked at Nick and heard him remark, "Your turn, Carrots. Time to finish the game strong."

The moment came for the game to come to its conclusion. _Time truly_ does _fly when you're havin' fun_ , she thought.

A smaller-sized bowling ball, colored in a deep shade of purple, came rolling down the retrieval machine, and the leporine picked it up.

Judy stared at the those ten white pins at the very end of the wooden lane, hoping internally for a strike. A look of determination on her muzzle, the lagomorph took three steps forward, pulled the ball back, and released after giving it her best possible swing.

It hit the floors with a loud clank, travelling with a good amount of momentum. The ball started to swerve a tiny bit to the left, but it managed to remain on course with the first pin that was closest to it. The frontmost pin came tumbling down, knocking down those to the right of it and causing a reaction that, lucky for the bunny, sent all ten of them falling like dominoes.

"Yes!" Judy exclaimed, joyously leaping up into the air. "Strike!"

"Okay, everybody," Clawhauser said from behind, looking up at two monitors on the ceiling above where he was seated. "That was a pretty close game, but it looks like 'Mortal Pins' is the winner."

The four started to clap and applaud one another, and they could hear some of their friends on the other "team" start to applaud their bowling performance as well.

Judging on the smiles of the mammals surrounding her, Judy knew that everyone heading back to this alley another time was a definite.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey there, readers! Hope you enjoyed this ridiculous story that I came up with. This was originally going to be about just Nick and Judy at the bowling alley, but once I started writing it out it turned into, "No, what if some of their friends joined in as well?"**

 **I also hid two references in this story as well. Anybody spot 'em? :)**

 **And, as always, let me know what your thoughts were on this. Your thoughts, good and bad, are always gladly appreciated. Also, want to give a big "Thank You" to every single one of you who have been reading my other stories I've written. It means a lot to know y'all are enjoying them!**

 **'Til next time, everyone! :D**


	54. A Special Visit

Throughout the snowy district of Tundratown, the holidays were in full swing. Just about every lamppost was decked with holly wreath or a string of white lights around its pole. The stores that outlined the streets all had their fair share of decorations, a mixture of snow mammals, Santa Claws props. and other festive symbols sure to strike anyone that walked by with Christmas spirit. The jingling of a bell being continuously rung filled the air, coming from the mammal with the red bucket that always stood outside to collect donations this time of year.

All of these fun sights and sounds brought cheer to just about everyone that found themselves walking down the sidewalk or driving through the area. But for a certain moose calf, he could only make observations of it all from the window of his room in Tundratown's Childern's Hospital.

Being stuck in the hospital was no fun to him, especially during what was the best time of the year. He really wanted to be outside, and perhaps try and build a snowmammal or look at the gigantic Christmas tree that they placed in the middle of the one part of town every year. But instead, he had been getting in here a lot of tests done, the complete opposite of what he really wanted to be doing this holiday season.

He turned away from the window, shuffling in the hospital bed and looking over in the other direction. It was right then that he could hear several voices mingling from out in the hall, as well as footsteps getting closer to his room.

Just then he heard the plain door being opened, and he saw the badger doctor that periodically checked up on him to see how he was feeling looking at him. Not even a few seconds later, two other figures started to walk up to the door, making his jaw drop in surprise.

A gray rabbit and red fox in police uniforms, who stopped by to visit the kits in the hospital, slowly walked up to where he was. But these weren't just _any_ officers; these were Zootopia's greatest that he always heard about through the news reports on TV.

"Hi there," the rabbit said, waving to the moose.

He waved back and said back, "Hello." He put on a smile that hadn't been on his face for quite some time, and he added, "I can't believe it. You're Judy Hopps!"

The leporine nodded. "My partner Nick and I came by specifically to see you."

The moose was now more excited then ever. _They came by just to see_ me _?_ he thought, currently feeling the like most special kid in all of the world.

The fox beside the gray lagomorph chimed in, "I heard that you want to be a police officer when you grow up."

"Yep," the cervid replied. "I wanna fight crime just like you guys."

"That's great," Judy said. "And that's why we wanted to give you something." She reached into the pocket of her uniform, pulling out a sticker that said "Junior ZPD Officer" on it and handing to the child.

Still smiling delightedly, the calf placed the sticker upon the shirt he was wearing. "Thank you," he said to the two officers. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Nick replied. "And remember this: No matter who you are or what anybody says, we can all make this world a better place."

And for the fox, seeing that smile on the little moose's face was the best feeling in the world. Along with keeping the city they loved protected and free of crime, bringing joy to the citizens of Zootopia, no matter how big or small, was what they did at the ZPD.


	55. The Best Gift

"Oh, no…" the fox muttered.

Nick let out a sigh of frustration as he looked at the screen of his phone, which displayed how may stops away the order he had made was. According to the estimated date that was given, it didn't look like the present that he ordered Judy was going to arrive before the holidays. The only way it'd get here now was through some Christmas miracle, but he knew that things like that only existed in stories, or in the stop-motion holiday film on the TV that he wasn't even paying attention to.

"Dang," the tod said to himself. "I just knew I should've ordered that a little bit earlier."

"Got the mail, Nick," came Judy's voice from across the room. "We had some cards in there."

The vulpine quickly went off of the delivery tracking screen and shoved his phone back into his pocket, putting on the most casual expression possible. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah," the doe replied. "Also got the invitation to Finnick's holiday party. Looks like it's happening the day after tomorrow."

Nick nodded. "Hopefully Fin don't decide to spike the eggnog like he chose to last time."

"Anyway," Judy continued, "you decide what Christmas movie we're gonna watch?"

"Uhh… yeah," he replied. "How about that one that's supposed to be a creepy movie about the holidays?"

"The one with the goat-looking thing that comes to kits that misbehaved?" Judy said. She then shook her head at her fox's suggestion. "Honestly, I'm not so sure about that one. 'Tis the season to be jolly, not to be scared."

Nick nodded. "Good call on that, Fluff. How about that cartoon about the kit who picks out the crummy tree instead? I bet it's playing right now."

The gray bunny smiled. "Much better choice," she remarked. "That one's a classic."

The fox and rabbit sat together and watched the holiday special they agreed upon. However, when they were about halfway finished with it, Nick's face went back to its previously despondent look once again.

The moment she gazed over at him, Judy took notice of the fact that he seemed to be vexed about something. "What's wrong, Nick?"

A few seconds after, Nick realized she was talking to him and replied, "Oh, it's… nothing."

"Be honest. I can tell you're lying."

"No, for real, Carrots. There's nothing wrong."

"Nick, I can tell something's on your mind right now. Just tell me."

The fox sighed and looked over at Judy. "I… I had something really special coming for you for Christmas, and it's lookin' like it's not gonna make it in time. I'm sorry."

Nick assumed that she was going to be unhappy about the situation, but her response was the polar opposite of his expectations. "That's what's troubling you?" Judy replied, smiling faintly back at her fox. "There's no need to be sorry about that, Nick."

"I know, but it just... I wanted to get you somethin' really special this year. Something that'll top all of the other gifts over the years."

The bunny replied, "That present can wait 'til then. To tell you the truth, the best gift that I could ever ask for is sitting right here beside me."


	56. Spreading Some Holiday Cheer

The moment he strolled through the front door and made his way towards the kitchen, he was hit with the cheerful scent of something baking in the oven. Emmitt Otterton walked into that part of the house to see his wife and his two children in the process of making batches of sugar cookies.

The counters looked like they were an assembly line, with each of them assigned to a different step when it came to creating and decorating the confections. He looked at what was cooling on the rack in front of him, gazing at the array of candy cane, Christmas tree, and snowflake-shaped goodies awaiting their coating of frosting and sprinkles.

After she determined that they cool enough to be handled, Mrs. Otterton started to hand over some of the unfrosted cookies for decoration. The kids, with joyful grins on their muzzles, worked together as they were given to them, one on frosting duty and the other in charge of applying the sprinkles.

"Hey, honey," Mrs. Otterton greeted. "You're home early."

Emmitt nodded his head. "Yeah, we just decided to close up the shop a little earlier. You wouldn't believe how quickly we cleared that poinsettia display we set a few days ago. Those flowers were sellin' like hot cakes."

"They _are_ a Christmas staple," his wife replied. Shifting the subject, she added, "And speaking of Christmas staples, we're gettin' the cookies ready for our annual tradition."

Upon hearing that remark from her, Emmitt smiled like a kit on Christmas morning. Their family tradition that she spoke of was delivering baked goods to some of their friends and neighbors that lived around the Rainforest District. Mrs. Otterton always enjoyed doing kind and friendly gestures towards others within their area, especially around this time of year. And what better was there to spread the much-needed holiday cheer than through delicious baked goods?

Emmitt looked over at his two pups, one of them handing a cookies a good coat of green frosting for the other to finish. Just as the sprinkles were being applied, the lid within the container popped off. What followed was a surplus of rainbow-colored sprinkles falling onto the cookie, and the child looked at it with disappointment.

"Uh-oh…" the otter pup said.

"No need to worry, son," Emmitt replied, walking around and stepping into the kitchen. "That one'll be mine, if you don't mind. I happen to love sprinkles."

The three giggled at his remark. He picked up the cookie that was more-than-sprinkled and took a bite of it. Sprinkles started to fall onto the floor as he enjoyed the taste of the homemade confection.

"They taste alright, dear?" Mrs. Otterton asked.

" _Alright?_ " her husband said back. "Honey, these are amazing. Even better than last year's batch."

"But you say that every year."

"And it's the truth. The taste of these brings back so many good memories."

The two kids continued to work on the last few cookies that were brought to them, and their mother went to the other side of the kitchen to get the festive bags ready for them to go in. Sister and little brother summed things up with their finishing touches, and even ended up having a good bit of each color of frosting left over.

"Hey, Finn," the older of the two pups said, getting her younger brother's attention. "Come over here."

Just then, the little boy found his nose getting a small dollop of sugary white frosting upon. "Eva!" Finn giggled.

Getting them more than excited than they already were, Emmitt said to the kids, "You two excited to go deliver some cookies this year or what?"

"Yeah!" they both exclaimed to him.

Their excitement for their holiday tradition was music to his ears.

* * *

The door with the mesh wreath hanging on it slowly opened, revealing a capybara standing there. Upon seeing the Otterton family standing on her little front porch, her face lit up with a great amount of excitement.

"Oh my gosh, I was _just_ thinking about you guys," she said. Just as the taller figure of a lion became visible through the doorway, she turned around and added, "I'm having some friends over for a little Christmas party, so I'm just getting things prepared.

Mrs. Otterton, looking at the feline within her view, asked, "Is that Janna?"

The lion simply waved to the otter from where she stood before walking away.

"Well, anyway, just wanted to drop these off. Hope they make a nice inclusion to your party food."

The lutrine handed the capybara a bag with a few of their cookies inside from the container she had in her paws.

The caviid smiled back at her. "Oh, I _know_ that they're gonna love these."

The Ottertons exchanged their holiday wishes, and waved her goodbye as they continued to stroll down the street. The lush and soothing scenery that could only be witnessed in the district enveloped them around every corner.

The family was reaching the end of their baked good deliveries, but they had a good bit left over. It was as if they ended up whipping up more than they needed.

Just then, Emmitt heard two familiar voices growing more audible from around the corner. The pairing of fox and rabbit approached him and waved as they continued to walk along, paw in paw.

"Nick, Judy," Emmitt greeted, "just the two mammals I was hopin' to see."

"Merry Christmas, you guys," Judy replied.

The otter smiled. "Same to you and your companion." As Mrs. Otterton handed him the container, he continued, "My wife baked some Christmas cookies, and we're goin' around to give them to some folks and spread a little cheer. Would you guys be interested in some? To be honest, we have a lot more left over than anticipated."

His russet tail wagging, Nick replied for his bunny, "Absolutely! There's never been time that _this_ fox has turned some kind of sweet treat, 'specially around this time of the year."

Emmitt reached in and gave the two teach their own bag of what was left over. He put on a grin as he watched the vulpine try to get the bag he had in his paw open, with him receiving a nudge to the shoulder from the lagomorph to his right.

"Wait 'til we get back home, Slick," Judy suggested.

Nick pretended to let out a sigh. "Alright, Carrots," he muttered in reply.

After the two walked away from where they were standing, Emmitt smiled. "One more stop," he said to himself, his wife able to overhear his words. "Last but definitely not least."

Mrs. Otterton asked, "Where to next, honey?"

"When I got off the phone with him a few days ago, Manchas was tellin' me he didn't really have anyone to celebrate the holidays with. I'd say we better go over to his place and deliver some Christmas cheer."


	57. The Christmas Town

The destination that Judy had in mind came as a surprise to Nick. Before she had come up with the idea, the fox didn't make any sort of plans as to where he and his companion were going to enjoy the holidays. Not because he didn't wish to celebrate, but because trying to head out at this time of year was easier said than done. Everywhere within Zootopia, regardless of which district, roads were flooded with holiday traffic, presumably from all of the shoppers trying to get to the nearest store or back home to their families.

Judy, though, insisted that they go to somewhere special, and leading up to the present moment she kept the location a secret from Nick. The only clue he ever received upon him asking was that it was outside of the city.

And once the fox saw for himself where the bunny had brought him to, he was sure glad that he didn't just settle for his original plans.

What the vulpine was taking in was a blissful place he thought only existed in the Christmas-themed picture books for toddlers. The surrounding space he and Judy strolled around had a nice covering of opaque snow. Although it wasn't as heavy as the kind that covered every square inch of Tundratown, it was enjoyable amount that practically screamed the holidays.

As they passed up an area with some pretty lights twinkling in a continuous pattern, they started to approach a small cultivation of spruce trees peaking up from the flat and snowy ground. A little sign adorned with strands of holly upon it read "Pick Your Own Tree."

After looking at some that stood in a variety of different sizes, Nick ended up pointing to one that caught his eye. Tapping on his bunny's shoulder, he remarked, "Look at that one! Carrots, wouldn't this one look great?"

"I wholeheartedly agree," Judy replied. "But… this is probably one of those trees where all of the needles fall all over the floor. Take it from someone who's had experience with that kind of thing. My family brought one home awhile back."

"Didn't know that," the vulpine replied. "When we visit the farm, the only tree I ever see your family put up is that big artificial one with the multi-colored lights."

The doe continued, "That tree came into play shortly after the messiness we endured with the real one. I kid you not, for awhile my siblings and I ended up calling it 'The Pine Needle Apocalypse.'"

Nick's mind painted the picture of what he imagined that "Pine Needle Apocalypse" looked like. Taking his mind off of the whole tree discussion the two of them were having, the vulpine remarked, "This place is just beautiful!"

Smiling over at her fox, the rabbit replied, "I knew you'd like it, Slick."

The tod replied, "Sure beats my idea of just staying at home with that crackling fireplace scene playing on the TV. Beats that by a long shot."

Nick held onto Judy's paw as she lead him through the snow and up to a spot where specks of white light could be seen sparkling in the nighttime. As soon as they got closer to the source of it, the vulpine's jaw dropped in awe as he looked around.

Standing untouched behind a weathered, protective wooden fence was the largest depiction of a Christmas village he had probably ever seen. On a long surface that held everything above the snow, the display was truly a sight to behold. It was evident to both of them that a good bit of work went into the crafting and construction of it all.

Every part of the scene was both beautiful and heartwarming, among its factors were a number of painted houses in various sizes and colors, an ice rink with several little figurines moving around in figure-eights, and a winter carnival scene with a lit ferris wheel. Navigating around the whole display was a little black train, sounding its little whistle as it continued to repeatedly go in circles.

And that had only been a fraction of the wondrous construction.

"Feast your eyes, Slick," the bunny beside him said. "I heard that this is called the 'Holiday Village.'"

Nick muttered, "Gosh, this puts all those little displays like this in those craft stores to shame. This is _gorgeous_ , Carrots!" Turning his head to the right, his eyes caught sight of a series of wood carvings that looked like tribal totem poles. "What are those over there?"

"I don't know," Judy replied. "Looks like there's some little sign on the ground beside them. Let's go see what they say." Once they got a closer look of what they wanted to see, she continued, "It says there that the one in front of the others is called The Bear of Love, and that it symbolizes the love that connects all that is living."

The fox nodded his head as he listened to what Judy was telling him. The gray bunny then pointed to a large construction not too far away from where they were both standing, and he looked over in that direction.

"And you know we haven't even went over to the barn over there," she remarked.

His tail wagging, he beckoned, "Well, Fluff, what are we waitin' for? Let's head over there and check it out!"

* * *

As the two went in the direction of the huge, rustic red barn, they noticed that a bunch of other mammals were heading to the same location, too. The doors to the building were wide open, and they started to hear the sound of a cheery, uptempo Christmas tune coming from inside.

Once Nick got towards the entrance, he saw a little metallic sign that said "Christmas Dance Party" on it to his left.

The floor of the barn was illuminated by a series of lights that shone in a festive red and green, and several couples, as well as some kits, could be seen dancing to the fun music resonating around them. Just about everyone enjoying themselves was either laughing with joy or had a big, kit-like grin upon their muzzle.

As Judy took Nick by the paw and lead him to a spot on the wooden "dancefloor," the music slowly started to get quiet and fade away. A cougar familiar to the rabbit walked into view, heading towards the microphone on the elevated platform where some instruments and speakers were. He appeared to be festively wearing some sort of Santa Claws hat on the top of his head.

Following the feline shortly afterwards were three other mammals—a cheetah, a reindeer, and a wolverine. These three were the other members to his band, that would probably be playing for those present momentarily.

The feedback that came from the platform's microphone got everyone looking in his direction, and the cougar standing there strapped a guitar around his neck. The cheetah positioned at the drums did a quick sound check, hitting the hi-hats with his drumsticks. The reindeer at the keyboard played a chord that twinkled around the barn. The wolverine picked up the bass and plucked one of its strings, resulting in the reverberation of a very deep note.

"Isn't that your friend?" Nick couldn't help but ask the bunny beside him. "Bobby Catmull?"

"Mhmm," Judy replied as she nodded her head. "I read that his band was going to be here in the article about this place."

Right after the question was answered, the cougar on the platform said into the microphone, "Happy holidays, everybody!"

After he made his little declaration, the folks gathered around started to break out into a small state of enthusiastic clapping.

Bobby continued, "So we've been performing at a couple of small venues around the area, and we thought that _this_ would be the perfect spot to come and supply some tunes to get everyone in the spirit of the season." He turned around and pointed over to the cheetah by the drums. "But before we begin, I'd like y'all to give Hunter, our new drummer, a round of applause."

The applause that he asked for filled the space once again, and the drummer nodded his head as his ears took it in.

Nick watched them as they carried along for a short amount of time, up until the moment Judy got his full attention. Once his emerald eyes became fixated upon her, she gave him her paw with a bit of a flourish.

"Shall we dance?" she asked him.

Dancing wasn't something the fox achieved mastery of, but he accepted the lagomorph's proposition anyway. The rabbit escorted him to where the others were, and two of them proceeded to slow dance, swaying back and forth as they moved in a circle.

"Did I tell you how amazing this surprise was?" Nick asked.

Smiling back at him, Judy replied, "I've been keeping a tally of how many times you have. And I'm getting the idea that will be heading here next Christmas, am I right?"

"Absolutely, Carrots. As well as the year after that _and_ the year after _that_."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Hey there, readers! I don't about you, but I was in the mood to write another holiday story before the new year begins.** **I know this one is kinda cheesy, but I hope that y'all enjoy it. As always your feedback is gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time, everybody! :)**


	58. At The Game

"Oh, look at that thing over there! It's got a bunch of numbers on it!" the lion cub remarked with great curiosity.

"Yeah, that's one of the scoreboards," Nick said to him. "Those numbers are what's keepin' track of the game and who's winning."

"What do those numbers on the bottom of it mean?"

"Oh, those?" The fox pointed to a portion of the scoreboard, one of the smaller ones that lit up a section of the sports stadium, where the words "Ball On" were located. "That number tell us where the next play's gonna begin."

"Okay," the little feline replied with a nod of his head. But it wasn't to long before he saw something else that piqued his curiosity. "What is _that_?" he asked not even a few seconds later.

Nick smiled faintly and shook his head as he walked the lost cub across a portion of the stadium. Up until that moment, he had been doing his regular assigned duty of keeping watch over the perimeter and making sure things remained safe for everyone who had attended the championship game of the season. The little one had approached the officer, saying he was lost and if he could help him find his mother. After he had asked him where he last saw her, the lion told him where in the best possible way a mammal that was his age could tell him.

Just then, the vulpine caught sight of Judy, who was standing beside a lioness that had a look of worry on her muzzle.

"Mama!" the lion cub exclaimed happily upon recognizing his mother standing there.

His mother held her arms out wide as he came running over to her, embracing him in a hug. "Don't go wandering off like that again, okay?" she told her son.

"I promise, Mommy."

Looking over at the fox in the blue uniform, the mother lion said to her cub, "Now you thank that nice officer."

"Thank you," replied the small feline, followed by a smile and a wave.

Nick nodded to the mother and child before joining Judy's side and heading to another section of the stadium, which was starting to get undoubtedly crowded. Halftime was only a few minutes away, and mammals from the crowd were finding their way to some of the many food stands as the fox and rabbit walked along.

Some time had passed, and the vulpine heard a somewhat-familiar voice coming from behind him. "Nick?" it said. "Is that you?"

The moment his ears registered the voice from the rest of the sports fans walking to and fro, Nick turned around to see a black bear, wearing a hat and jersey with the visiting team's logo on it, standing behind him. That was when the fox recognized who it was.

"Jax?" the tod asked in surprise.

"Great to see ya, my mammal," the bear remarked before slapping paws with the vulpine, letting out a good chuckle. "Gosh, I can't remember how long it's been since we saw each other last."

"Yep," Nick replied. "I think we we're both at-"

"The Tropicana Club," Jax said, finishing the fox's sentence. "That was where we were. The club owner's wife ended up being in the show and totally caught him off guard that night, if my memory rings true."

"Yeah, I remember that like it was yesterday."

Judy started walking back over to where he was, and Nick pointed a paw to the black bear that was standing there.

"Carrots," Nick said to the doe, "I'd like to introduce ya to Jax. He's a friend of mine."

"Pleasure to meet you," Jax greeted, shaking paws with the gray leporine. He paused a moment and looked over to his side. "Well, I'm gonna go get myself some grub and then head back to my seat. Don't wanna miss the big halftime show. Was good runnin' in to ya."

As the black bear walked over to a nearby concession stand, Nick and Judy both made their way over to where they could both get a better look at the stadium.

The second quarter of the game was all wrapped up, and now they could both see the crew on the field, rushing around to get everything set up for the night's performance to begin.

Some time had passed, and the lights started to get dimmer and dimmer around them. The low-ranging sound of the bass echoed across the area, coming from the speakers as the performer of the night came. This would actually be their _second_ they saw this particular artist playing.

From where they stood, they could see none other than pop-star Gazelle, dressed in a sparkly red top and skirt as she started to sing the first song of her performance. The crowd in the stadium, as well as those nearer of the commencing show on the field, roared in applause. The moment her voice resonated around everyone there, their cheering only got stronger and louder.

As the show carried on, Nick found his feet tapping along to the ever-so-familiar beat of the tune the radio stations had played time and time again. Judy gave his paw a gentle squeeze as she watched, and her fox smiled alongside her.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey there, everyone! With football's championship game already over, this little story fell into my head. Not the exactly the _best_ thing I've come up with, but hope that it was still somewhat enjoyable. I've got some more stories better than this one in mind, and I hope to share those with y'all real soon!**

 **As always, your thoughts, whether they be good or bad, are always gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time, folks! :)**


	59. Diner

On a rainy afternoon, a good number of years ago, a middle-aged vixen and her kit walked into a small diner that stood humbly on the corner of the town. After the unfavorable weather put a dampen on the plans that had been made, she quickly thought up the idea of taking her son here to dodge the shower that came in.

The diner had a quaint atmosphere that just didn't compare to the chain restaurants outside of the town, with a nostalgic style that made one feel as if they had stepped back in time and were in an entirely different decade. Although it wasn't exactly too much to talk about, the food that they served was always delicious. The menu had a simplistic variety to choose, and it was quickly prepared and inexpensive to purchase.

The vixen lead her son to the long sit-down counter nearby. Considering that it was both the weekend and a rainy kind of day, the diner was a bit busier than it normally was. Once they had both taken there seats, her and her son both looked up at the menu, which was displayed on a wall that was above where the kitchen area was. She told her beloved kit with a smile that he could choose whatever he liked from the menu.

After both of their selections had been made, they watched as the cook got to work on preparing their food. Their food was served, and the kit was the first to taste what had been ordered. His mother distinctly remembered his reaction upon tasting food from the diner, which had obviously been a pleasant one.

"Delish!" she could remember him remarking with a grin, and she simply responded with a chuckle.

From there on in, whenever it was possible, they went back to the diner. Sometimes it was for the breakfast when it was being served, and sometimes it was for supper. And a couple occasions she would even treat her son to the strawberry shake that they served, a small reward for the good grades he had gotten on his school report card.

But years started to pass by, and life started to make some changes at very same time. Her son started to grow up, and eventually lost interested in heading to the diner despite going there together for quite some time. So when he had left the house, it had been just her that started to go there. And she found herself, after some time had passed, awaiting the day that he would come back, so they could perhaps visit this little spot once again.

* * *

His bunny by his side, Nick stood just outside the entrance of the diner he had memories of from when he was young. The railcar-style construction looked like it hadn't changed a bit, along with a good portion of the town he grew up in (with the exception of improvements made to the grocery store and the building that housed the old flower shop now being up for lease). From what he could see through the windows to the restaurant, it didn't look like that many mammals were in there at this given moment.

"What is this place?" Judy found herself asking her fox.

The vulpine looked over at her and answered, "This, Carrots, is somewhere that used to have a lot of significance when I was young." He then let out a sigh. "It's been quite some time since I came here and ate. I almost wasn't sure if it would still be in business."

After he had said that, he lead the doe to the doors that opened up to the diner. A recollection of this particular place filled his memory some time ago, which lead him to visiting the area and taking Judy to this spot.

Upon taking a step inside, he was immediately greeted with the sounds of food sizzling on the small grill. But as he got a good look around the place, he started to notice that some changes had been made since the last time he had been here. Even though it was quite obvious that _any_ business eventually made changes to their interior in time, it just managed to catch his eye.

The place had gotten a completely new paint job; the originally plain white walls had been coated with a gentle shade of yellow. Some of the retro decorations weren't where they used to be any more. But the thing that remained the same was that sit-down area and the cooking station.

They both found themselves seats, and Nick looked over to see someone very familiar walking by. In the outfit he always wore when preparing the customers their meals, the jackal that had cooked all of the meals he had eaten here before looked over at him. Both the fox and him were both surprised to see one another in the same location.

"I'll be darned," the jackal remarked. "Never expected ya to drop by."

Nick replied, "Just thought I'd revisit this place." He looked over at the gray lagomorph sitting to his right. "And I brought my companion here as well."

"So what'll it be?" the cook asked. "Your favorite thing off of the menu?"

The vulpine nodded his head. "You got that right. Shake one in the hay for me. Same for the lady."

"Got it! Be right back with your order in a hop, skip, and a jump."

As the jackal walked away and started to prepare what Nick had ordered for the two of them, Judy looked over at her fox with a little bit of confusion.

"What did that mean?" the bunny inquired.

"What did what mean, Fluff?" Nick asked back.

Judy responded, "'Shake one in the hay.' What does that mean?"

"Oh, that was just diner talk. I was ordering us two shakes."

The doe nodded. "Never heard it being spoken before."

"I guess you just start learnin' it after eating here for a good bit of time. I can still remember some of it. Like if you want a bowl of their veggie soup, you ask for a splash from the garden. If it's breakfast time and you're craving pancakes, you say you want blowout patches. And if you want somethin' to go, you tell 'em to put it on wheels."

"You sure know the diner talk," the gray leporine beside the fox said with a giggle.

"Yep," Nick answered slyly. "I like to think of myself as being bilingual and that being my second language." Changing the subject back to the food served at the diner, he remarked, "Anyway, the strawberry shakes they serve here are absolutely amazing. The ones that they serve in the fast food places just don't compare to the ones they make here."

After a momentary pause, Judy simply replied, "Huh."

"What is it?" the tod asked his bunny.

"It's just a bit different that you ordered us something flavored with strawberries. When you said to me that you ordered us both shakes, I half-expected them to be _blueberry_ ones."

"As much as I wish they offered that, it doesn't say they do on the menu. If there's a suggestion box 'round here somewhere, I'd be more than happy to give them my recommendation. But I don't think the menu here is gonna change. It's exactly the same as it was when I last ate here." He paused a moment. "And to let you in on a little fact about me, I was actually a big fan of strawberry desserts prior to becoming the blueberry fanatic I am today."

"Are you serious?" Judy replied with a pretend sense of shock. "Wow. And you think know everything about somebody."

Nick couldn't help but laugh alongside her. Just then, the mammal that took their order came back to where they were seated, a tall glass in each paw. He set them down on the counter beside the two of them and walked away with a kind smile, the kind the fox could recall he gave everyone who visited the diner.

They both took a sip of their drink through the straws that was in their glasses. Just as he had anticipated, Judy's face indicated that she was enjoying the refreshing taste of it.

Not even a few moments after Nick took another sip of his shake, the door to the diner opened up. For a quick second, the fox turned his attention towards the entrance and saw just who had walked in. When he realized who it was, his eyes widened in utter surprise.

Standing near the entrance, looking over at where he was sitting, was none other than his mother. The look on her face had the same amount of astonishment that her son's had, as neither of them had planned for them to be here.

Nick's mother placed a paw over her mouth as her son got up from his chair walked over to where she was. As he approached her she wrapped her arms around him, producing a delighted tear at the fact that she was seeing her son again after so long. And Nick himself didn't know that she had been coming here regularly, and that he happened to be here the moment she decided to stop by.

There was a good bit of catching up to do between the tod and his mother. But what better place start said catching up than at the diner they used to always visit?


	60. Something From the Heart

The shops that outlined sections of the city boasted with a variety of things pertaining to this special time of the year. Jewelry stores were already advertising their sales, offering deals on adornments for the shopper's special mammal in their life. Sit-down restaurants also were getting in the spirit of things as well, stating that couples got a certain percentage off of their meal. And if those things weren't enough of an indication to what day was coming up, the red, pink, and white hearts that decked the windows of some of the buildings would be.

It was Valentine's Day, the celebration of love and romance, in the city of Zootopia once again. While everyone was out and about, looking for something to gift to their significant other, Judy was running into a bit of a dilemma. She had no clue at the moment as to what she was going to do get Nick for Valentine's Day.

As she continued to stroll down the city park, the fox on her right started to take notice of the look that resided on her muzzle. It was looked that indicated that she was in an internal trail of thoughts.

"Uh, Carrots?" he asked, breaking the silence. "Something on your mind?"

Judy was silent for two seconds before realizing what he had asked her. "Oh, nothing," she said, looking back at him.

"Well, technically nothing _is_ something," the vulpine replied. " Besides, I can pretty much see the thought cloud trailing above you, so something's gotta be on your mind right now."

"Let's stop and sit down on this bench, and then I'll tell you," Judy suggested.

The two of them went over to where a long bench sat, overlooking the area of the park where others walked around and kits could be seen roaming around and playing.

"Now then," Nick said, "you were saying?"

After a momentary pause, the rabbit answered, "You don't mind if I ask you a question, do you?"

"Ask away, Fluff."

"You know that Valentine's Day is just around the corner," Judy began.

Nick laughed under his breath. "How could you _not_ know about it? Basically every shop on the block's got decorations for it like it's Christmastime."

The gray doe continued, "Let's just say I've got this Valentine and I want to do something really special for him. If you were in my position, what would you do?"

The fox grinned, rubbing a claw upon his chin like he was pondering about the subject matter. "Hmm…" he said. "What is this Valentine of yours like, exactly?"

"Well," Judy replied, "he's many things, to be honest."

"Just name of a few things, then. How would you describe his personality?"

"He's very caring and sentimental. Not to mention that he's really witty at times and makes me laugh when I need to the most. Oh, and he's really handsome. Can't forget that."

The vulpine grinned even wider as he heard how she described him. "Well," he breathed, continuing along with conversation, "this Valentine sounds like a really nice mammal."

"I know that for a fact," Judy remarked with assurance. "He's probably one of the best mammals that ever walked into my life. Not to sound like one of those cheesy movies or anything. You know, like that high school when where the one guy always combs his headfur and the car takes flight in the end."

Nick chuckled, smiling back at the bunny. "I take it this Valentine's an easy-going kind of guy."

"That is true, Slick. That is true."

"If that's the case, I wouldn't fret too much about what you're gonna get for him. I'm pretty sure Valentine's Day is nothin' but an observance full of materialism in his eyes. So if you want my honest-to-goodness opinion, I would suggest you give him something from the heart."

Judy looked back at the tod and nodded. "Give him something from the heart," she repeated. "Got it! You're a lifesaver, Slick, you know that?"

The fox replied, "Do I know that? Yes, yes I do." As Judy suddenly got up from the bench and proceeded to walk away, he asked, "Where you runnin' to, Fluff?"

"I just remembered something," the leporine replied. "There's an errand I need to run right now and I almost forgot to."

"Oh, uh… Okay then."

"Stop by my place at nine-o'-clock, okay?" she called back, waving to him as she darted off.

"All right," he said to himself. "I'll see her then, I guess…"

* * *

 ** _Later…_**

It was nine-o'-clock on the dot when he pulled up to the apartment complex. He couldn't have timed his arrival any better than he did.

Reaching over to the passenger side of the car, he reached for the bouquet of flowers he picked up for her. Carefully holding them in his paw, he stepped outside and made the walk over to the entrance of the complex. Once he had reached the door to her apartment, he knocked upon it and took a step back.

"Just a sec," she said.

He heard the sounds of the door being unlocked, and he turned the knob the moment it was, still holding the bouquet behind his back with his other paw.

"I'm here, Carrots," Nick remarked. "You said to be here at nine-o'-clock and I-"

His words were cut short the moment his eyes noticed what had happened to the apartment. It was like the entire thing had underwent a Valentine's Day makeover, and had been transformed into a small slice of a holiday-themed display. Dangling from the ceiling was a series of paper hearts, colored in the typical hues that were associated with this particular observation. On top of those ones, more hearts could be seen upon the walls as well, along with an assortment of other little Valentine's Day decorations.

"What's all this?" the fox inquired as he gazed around the decorated surroundings of her apartment.

"I followed your advice," the lagomorph answered. "You said to do something from the heart, so I did. Literally _and_ figuratively."

Nick chuckled. "Heh, I get it. 'Cause of all the hearts. Sly bunny."

"I know it's nothing majorly fancy," the doe continued, "but I hope you like it."

"I love it, Fluff," the vulpine said with honesty. He brought the paw that was holding the flowers from behind his back. "Anyway, I brought you these."

Judy reached for the bouquet that the tod held out in front of her, looking at the variety of colors it contained. "These are _beautiful_ , Nick," she complimented. "I also noticed that there's some _foxtail_ lilies in here, too." She grinned back at him. "How clever of you."

"Just thought I throw those in to the mix," Nick said. "Anyhow, are Bucky and Pronk gone right now? I didn't hear them as I was walking over here, and normally you can hear them from across the hall."

"They went out. And thanks to that, I don't gotta worry about them eavesdropping in our conversation." After she said that, something else entered her mind. "Oh, and I just remembered. There _is_ one more thing that I would like to give you."

"What's that?"

"Wait one second. I'm gonna set these flowers down on the table and then I'll grab it for you."

After setting the bouquet she received down, Judy went over to the small storage closet her apartment contained. Opening it up, she stepped inside and proceed to dig through some of the stuff she had stashed on the bottom of it. When she walked back over to Nick, she held out a large white box in her paws. She held it out in front of him, and the fox took it from her to look at what was inside of it.

He lifted the lid of the top of it, chuckling under his breath upon seeing what it contained. "More hearts," he laughed, smiling back at the bunny that gave the box to him.

"But those aren't ordinary ones like the ones I decorated the apartment with," Judy informed. "Those ones are special. Take some of them out and read what's on them."

Nick walked over to where a chair was in the corner of the room and sat down with the box of paper hearts in his lap. He closed his eyes and placed a paw inside. "Let's see which one I draw from the pile first," he remarked, making Judy laugh.

The fox got a hold of a reddish-pink paper heart, realizing that nothing had been written on it. Judy then told him to turn it around and see if something had been written on the back of it. The moment he flipped it around, he did see that something had been written upon it. The single word "Caring" had stared back at him in large, cursive letters.

"Reminds me of those little heart-shaped candies with the little words on 'em," Nick observed to himself, setting the heart down to the side and reaching in the box for another one.

The second time around, the heart had something different written on it. "Kindhearted" was what this one said. He continued from there, pulling out more of them and being met with several more descriptive words—"Fun-loving," "Helpful," "Funny" being among them.

He had reached for the final heart, turning it around and seeing a message that was more than just one word.

" _All of these things you are the reasons you'll always be my Valentine,_ " was what it said.

Nick smiled giddily as he read it, and held the paper heart to his chest. "Thank you, Carrots," he said as he looked back at the gray rabbit.

Judy smiled back at him. "I know it's all pretty cheesy, but I'm glad you do." She walked over to where he sat and gave him a delicate kiss. "Happy Valentine's Day," she said.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Judy," Nick repeated.


	61. Such a Good Golfer

A metallic clang broke the silence as the golf club came into contact with the white, dimpled ball resting on the tee. It flew into the air like bird talking flight as Nick took a few steps and observed how far it traveled alongside Judy and the others. The ball luckily flew passed the pond that served as a water hazard, as well as the sand trap nearby, landing in the rough located some spaces away from the putting green. From where it had landed, it was going to take a wedge to get that near the hole, and if he was lucky enough there was a possibility of him being able to chip it in.

Walking over to the back of the golf cart, he set the driver back in the bag and swapped it for the wedge that he had on paw. He then made his way back to the passenger side of the cart, looking over at Judy, who had been in charge of driving it to each of the golf course's holes.

Nick looked behind him at the other two carts that were right behind them. He could see Wolford and Grizzoli idly occupying one of them, and Skye was the only one in the other. The others that tagged along with them during this friendly game of golf were making their way to the next hole—they were the ones who had went first—so everyone would be meeting up with one another in a few moments.

The vulpine looked to see what Skye was currently looking at, which turned out to be none other than Jack. The striped buck was on the opposite side of this portion of the course, on the top of an elevated teeing area that was further away from where the rest of them had played from. The jackrabbit got himself ready to swing his club and stared back at the vixen, who fluttered her eyelashes back at him from where she stood, even though they were too distant for him to see.

"Hey, Jack!" Nick called out, interrupting the lagomorph in the midst of his concentration. "You know you're teeing off from the farthest tee, right?"

"I'm pretty aware of that, fox. Thanks for tellin' me!" Jack replied from where he was.

"And you are aware that makes the ball the most vulnerable to the water?"

"Yes, I am. Now let me focus, Wilde!"

Jack then looked down at where he was teeing from, holding the club higher up before drawing it back down and striking the ball. It flew into the air but curved a bit to the left, traveling en route for the water before directly landing into it with a faint splash. The striped rabbit sagged his head before walking away from the teeing area and making his way back to the cart, where Skye was waiting for him. The arctic vixen couldn't help but giggle at another one of Jack's antics; she knew quite well that he was just trying to impress her.

After watching those events unfold, Nick stepped back into the golf cart as those behind him started to drive in front. The fox looked over at the gray doe, who sat hunched over as she looked over the complimentary scoreboard given to her before they started playing.

"Thought you said it was just a friendly game, Carrots," he asked.

Judy looked up at the vulpine and replied, "It is, but I just decided to keep track of your score for the heck of it. Figured the others were as well so I thought we would." She paused and looked over to the other side, taking in the serene views of the course. "The scenery here is just amazing, Nick."

"Well, Fluff, it pays to be good friends with the guy that helps the running of this place. I told ya, I know everyone."

"Of course," Judy replied with a faint laugh.

Looking back out in front of her, the rabbit started to drive their cart to the next location. Only two more holes were left to the course and this game would be complete.

* * *

"Poor Jack's probably gotta have the worst score," Nick remarked with a shake of his head. "He had bad luck with about three water hazards while trying to impress Skye. Reminds me of when were all on that ZPD annual cruise, and he ended up wiping out on that surfing simulator while trying to woo her."

Judy listened to him as she looked around at some of the things that the shop they were standing in had to offer. Not that either of them were interested in acquiring any new golf clubs or attire, but it didn't hurt to just browse. Not only that, but the air conditioning inside of the building felt great after being in the beating sun for a good period of time.

Just as she was looking at some of the visors that were sitting on a nearby rack, the gray lagomorph heard the sounds of someone walking up to where she and Nick were. Turning her head in that direction, she saw Wolford standing there with scorecards in his paw.

"Oh, hey," she greeted.

The timber wolf handed her the scorecards he was holding onto. "Just thought I'd give you these so you could see who did the best. This is everyone body's card except for Jack. I haven't see him. Also, either of you happen to know where Grizzoli went?"

"He was chattin' with someone outside while returning all of the carts," Nick chimed in, answering the canid's question. "Might still be out there. I don't know for sure, though."

"Ok, thanks," Wolford said, proceeding to walk away. "Let me know if him and I got the best score or not!"

Judy laughed under her breath, her eyes looking down at the scorecard now in her paw. She paused a brief moment to look at each one.

"Oh…" she muttered upon seeing who had done the best out of them all.

"What is it, Carrots?" Nick asked, peaking at the scores that she was studying.

"Who knew he was such a good golfer?"

"Who's such good golfer?" the vulpine asked. He noticed whose name was written on the card Judy was pertaining to, and he nodded his head. "And he got a hole in one on that par-three, too? Huh. Where's he at, anyhow?"

"I think he's out near that practice green," Judy replied.

* * *

The moment the wedge collided with it on the "rough" of the practice green, the golf ball leaped into the air before going towards the hole. It struck the pole of the little flag in the middle of the hole before landing right inside of it.

After the successful practice chip shot, Clawhauser smiled and proceeded to walk up and collect the ball. As soon as he bent down and picked it out of the hole, he heard someone walking towards the green. He turned around to see Nick looking in his direction.

"Ben," the fox said, "Judy and I never knew that you were this great at golfing."

For a moment, the large cheetah was silent. "Oh," he said with a chuckle. "Yeah, it's been awhile since I've picked up a golf club, but I used to years ago. I'm no professional, though."

"And you got a hole in one, too!" Nick continued. "That's amazing!"

"Well, I wouldn't have learned some of the tips I know about golf if it weren't for Ms. Catano standing over there. It's thanks to her that I learned how to play."

Clawhauser pointed his golf club to the slender female cheetah who was on the other side of the putting green.

"Yep," she remarked. "He asked me to teach him one day I ended up showing the guy everything he knows."

The expression on Nick's face turned into one of amazement. The words that Judy previously said while checking the scores were exactly what were coursing in his own mind right now.

Who would've thought that Clawhauser was such a good golfer?


	62. Confection

"Carrots, I've got a good feeling you're gonna love the food from that new place," Nick remarked happily. "The family running it was _so_ nice, and I even got a little discount 'cause I'm a first time-"

The space was blanketed with dead silence as he stepped inside, setting the plastic bags containing the take-out he picked up down on the kitchen floor.

"Customer," he muttered, finishing what he had been saying when he first walked in.

Nick looked around for where was, walking over to the living room and making his way to the extra room that served as a small office space.

He could hear Judy muttering to herself, obviously due to some sort of frustration. She was in that office space, sitting in the chair by the desk with the nearby lamp on and her phone in her paw.

"I thought I'd bring us both some take-out from that new restaurant," Nick said from the open doorway. "They even had one of your favorite dishes on their menu."

The rabbit's ears perked up. "Huh?" she mumbled audibly, setting her phone down on the desk and spun her swivel chair over to face the fox.

"The new restaurant that just opened down the block a couple of weeks ago," the vulpine repeated. "You know that vegetable medley you liked at the other place with the snow peas in it? They make their version of it, so I ordered some."

"Oh, yeah, the restaurant," Judy replied, remembering the place that the fox was talking about. She turned back to the desk, turned the lamp sitting upon it off and rested her head against the back of her chair. "Gods, where is my head at today?" she muttered to herself.

"If you'd like, I'd be happy to help you find it," was Nick's snark reply, after overhearing the mumbling words of the rabbit.

The gray doe produced a quiet snicker and grinned back at him. "You could try to find it, Nick, but it'd be no use," she said to him. "By now my head's already crossed the border and traveled off into another country."

As the lagomorph let out a light sigh, the vulpine walked over to where she was seated. "What's the matter, Fluff?" he asked his bunny.

"If I tell you the details, I'm afraid you'll find them a bit silly."

"Please," Nick replied. "You're lookin' at a fox who excels at silliness from time to time. I'm pretty sure whatever's coursing through your mind doesn't even fit in that category."

"You're not gonna laugh, right?"

"Come on. When have I _ever_ laughed at this bunny sitting beside me?"

Judy paused for a moment. "That time I walked into that wet cement after encountering one another."

"Right," Nick replied, recalling that particular moment from before they became partners at the ZPD. "But that was some years ago. And since then I've become a changed fox, a mammal in blue. And if there's on the mind of my partner, both on and off the force, then I'm surely going to lend you my ears."

"I'll confess in advance that what's on my mind's probably making a mountain out of a molehill. My mind's just… been elsewhere, if you will.

"Well, I know what'll cheer you up," Nick interrupted. "You wait right there and I'll be right back."

As he walked out of the room and back out into the kitchen, Judy remained where she was sitting. She heard the ruffling of bags, obviously coming from what the take-out Nick had ordered had come in.

A few seconds later, the fox ran back into the room, carrying a white paper bag. The tod reached into the bag and pulled a pancake-shaped confection of some sort.

"Dorayaki?" he said, holding what he now had in his paw in front of Judy.

The doe was unsure of he was saying. "What?" was all she said in response.

"This confection," Nick replied. "It's called a dorayaki. Do you want some?"

"What is it?"

"Between these two patties is supposed to be some kind of sweet paste made from red beans," Nick replied. "You _gotta_ give it a try. They're pretty good, and I'd be a liar if I didn't say that I ate a couple of the ones I ordered before bringing them here."

Judy smiled at her fox, producing a giggle as she kindly took the confection from Nick's paw and held it in both of hers. She took a small bite out of it, nodding approvingly at how it tasted.

"Wow, that's sweet," she remarked

"I know, right?" Nick said in agreement with her, proceeding to take out another dorayaki from the bag. "You want another one? There's a couple of more I haven't eaten yet."

"Save them for dessert," Judy replied.

The fox nodded and placed the confection back into the paper bag. "Good idea. Don't wanna spoil the appetite before we get to try out some of the cuisine." He went to walk out of the room and make his way over to the dining area. "Come on. I'm gonna go get the table set."

A few moments later, the food that he had ordered awaited her as she took a seat on the chair Nick had already pulled out for her. In several take-out boxes were several different oriental dishes, including one order of sesame soba noodles, as well as the veggie medley Nick knew was Judy's favorite dish of this kind of cuisine.

"You got us quite a variety," Judy remarked as she grabbed one of the boxes and began to serve herself.

"Yep," Nick replied, nodding his head with a smile on his muzzle. "Thought we'd get an idea of what the majority of what they offered tasted like."

The rabbit laughed under her breath. "Reminds of me of that one time when we were at that international food buffet, and when you went around and grabbed something from each section."

"We only live once, Fluff, so why not try all of the cuisine this world's got to offer?"

"Good point, Slick. If that's the case, then the dish I can cross off the list is that sweet pastry you gave me."

Sometimes all it took was something as simplistic as confections to make one's day better.

* * *

 **Author's Note: The dorayaki that was mentioned within this story is a sweet treat that's part of Japanese cuisine. I was inspired to incorporate it into a story after seeing a movie called Sweet Bean, which is about a baker who makes them. Highly recommend giving that a watch, 'cause it was beautiful! :)**

 **Anyway, hope you liked this little story. Not much to it this time around, but hopefully it was still an enjoyable slice of life. As always, let me know what your thoughts were on this. Your thoughts, good and bad, are always gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time, everybody! :)**


	63. Box

Sprawled out all over the floor of the burrow were the pieces that went to what was being built. The pieces belonged to the large playset that a lucky bunny had gotten for his sixth birthday on this particular afternoon.

The birthday presents had been opened, and the cake had been eaten some time ago. Now it was time to put the playset that Alex Hopps had received together. While assembly instructions were being read and parts of it were being put together by Bonnie and Stu, another young buck, who was one year older than Alex, came strolling by.

He walked passed the huge box that what was being assembled came in, which was laying on its side, and he saw his younger brother Alex emerge from it.

Alex held out a paw. "Halt!" he remarked playfully. "Who goes there?"

The buck giggled at his brother. "Hey, Alex," he replied. "Whatcha doin'?"

"I am Alex Hopps, King of the Burrows! Will you join me on my quest?"

"Sure. Sir Adam at your service." The buck took bowed before sliding into the large box with his brother.

What followed was Alex imitating the sound of fanfare, as well as the two brothers pretending they were making a trek despite remaining in the box.

"Oh no!" Alex exclaimed. "There's a dragon up ahead!"

"No need to fear, Your Highness. I'll use my magic to scare it away."

"You know _magic_?"

"Yep, I'm a magic knight!"

The two of them broke into laughter as they continued the imaginary adventure they were having.

Meanwhile, from the couch on the opposite side of the room, Judy grinned as she watched her younger siblings play.

It was a known fact to those who were parents or had younger siblings, and it rung true once again: Sometimes the box that a toy came in was just as fun as the toy itself.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey there, everyone! Haven't wrote anything for a little bit, but I'm back into the writing spirit. With everything that's going on right now, I felt the need to come up with some stories that'll hopefully bring readers a much-needed smile. :)**

 **This was a pretty short story this time around, but hope y'all like it anyhow. This one was just a little play on the whole "children playing with the box instead" trope that I thought would be cute to write. As always, your thoughts, good and bad, are always appreciated.**

 **'Til next time, everybody! :)**


	64. Everything Will Be Alright

The virus was spreading more and more with each passing day, and some parts of the city looked the emptiest they had ever been. Putting into consideration how the streets were normally packed with traffic, the idleness of this particular portion of the metropolis was an unusual thing.

Holding a paw against the glass of the apartment window, Judy sighed as she stared out at the city. With everybody trying their best to stay inside and avoid going out unless necessary, she could only spot two or maybe three mammals on the sidewalks every so often.

At the apartment complex that was nearby, she could see signs that spreaded kindness to those who saw them hung up on some of the windows. The words " _Everything Will Be Alright_ " were written in bubble letters on a bright yellow poster, and taped to some other windows were some other signs with similar cheerful words on them. The few that she saw had crosses drawn on them, and another had a doodle, presumably done by a kit, of a rainbow against happy clouds.

Looking away from the window, the gray doe turned her attention back to the television, which continued to play the news. ZNN's Peter Moosebridge went on to repeat what had already been covered before the last commercial break, and the current death toll displayed itself on the right side of the screen.

As the channel switched to a tanuki reporting from another district, Judy turned around in time to see her fox walking into the room. "Still watching the news, Fluff?" he asked upon seeing what the television was playing.

"Just seeing if there was any new information about all this," the bunny responded.

"It's not good to keep that on all day, though," the fox replied.

Judy sighed, evidently concerned with everything that was happening in the city she loved. "I know, but… we need to stay informed, you know? This is all just really scary."

Nick stepped closer to the couch and placed a paw on Judy's shoulder. As she turned her around to look at him, he said, "I know this is a scary situation. Heck, being a fox with an immune system that naturally isn't too strong, it's _terrifying_. But the news is just gonna get more depressive the longer you watch."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"We're gonna get through this, Carrots. After everything that's been thrown at it, this city's always stayed strong. We just gotta stay positive." He pointed the window the doe was previously looking out of. "And when we're in doubt, we just remember what that brightly colored sign out there says."

"Everything will be alright," the leporine replied, repeating what the sign Nick had mentioned said.

"Yep." The vulpine nodded his head. "Besides, if we're all supposed to stay inside as much as we can, I can't think of a better mammal to spend time with during all of this." Turning around and walking towards another spot in the apartment, he said, "Anyway, I think I've got something we can do to take our minds off of all of the news."

Judy turned the volume down on the television, looking away from the screen completely. A few seconds later, she saw the fox walking back to where she was sitting. In his paws was a long box with the name of a very familiar board game printed on the top and sides of it.

" _Zoo-O-Poly?_ " she asked with a smile.

Nick replied, "One of my all time favorites. Thought it'd be fun to play, don't ya think?"

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get this game started, Slick."


	65. Gone But Not Forgotten

Small flags marked every gravestone within Bunnyburrow's Military Cemetery, blowing delicately as a breeze came by. While paying respects to those who had been buried, all of which had died while serving military, Bonnie Hopps made her way over to a particular headstone that was on the left side of the cemetery.

Underneath a large and shady oak tree was a slab of stone with the name "Christopher Hopps" inscribed upon it. Right below where the name had been engraved was a short quote, one that was very familiar to her. She remembered how her uncle was always had sayings of wisdom like the one that had been etched on his grave.

Her uncle leaving to fight in the war was something she remembered like it was yesterday. And the moment in time when the news arrived that he died in combat was one she would never forget. The day had been going as usual, and it was sometime after their weekly church service when her and her parents were visited by two uniformed mammals, regretting to inform them of what had occurred.

It was from that moment forward that she understood the importance of honoring the brave mammals who died to protect her freedoms. And she had been coming to this spot within the cemetery to visit ever since.

Gently patting a paw against where her uncle quite some time ago had been laid to rest, she sighed. She had been coming to this place every year on this particular day, and would continue to carry on this commemorative tradition for as long as she lived.

He might have been gone, but he was surely not forgotten.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Came up with this as a nod to those who have fallen to protect our freedoms. Let us remember to honor the brave men and women who have served.**

 **Anyway, hope you liked this little story. It's a little on the shorter side, but hopefully it was still a nice, enjoyable read. As always, let me know what your thoughts were on this. Your thoughts, good and bad, are always gladly appreciated.**

 **'Til next time, everybody! :)**


	66. A Not So Great Road Trip Story

"So… the road trip was that bad, huh?" Nick inquired.

What Nick had been talking about was the location Wolford had taken a road trip not too long ago. The place that the timber wolf had visited with two of his friends, from photos he had been shown of it, looked like the perfect place to take a trip to in his opinion.

Where Wolford had stayed was only steps away from the white sandy beach, with nice restaurants and small shops surrounding the area. But after the wolf returned from his little trip, Nick noticed that he wasn't as happy-looking as he would expect someone to seem after coming back from the beach, which was supposed to be a joyous place to visit. The fox knew that something must've occurred within those days that made things dissatisfying.

Wolford, who had standing not too far away from the fox, let out a sigh and took a sip from his coffee before continuing the conversation. "It was a trip spawn from hell, Wilde," he answered. "And I ain't even trying to overstate it."

"What happened?" the vulpine asked.

"I guess I should start at the beginning," the timber wolf replied. "It all started when we arrived at the hotel."

"But that place you said you were staying at looked like really nice."

"Well, appearances can be deceiving, I guess. Anyway, we get there after a lot of driving, and we're ready to check in before heading down to the beach. But then we get to reception"—Wolford let out a chuckle and shook his head—"and the clerk tells us they're sorry for the inconvenience 'cause the elevators are out of order at the moment, and that we're gonna have to use the stairs. What didn't make things any better was the fact that where we were stayin' was near the top floor, and we we're gonna have to walk up about sixty flights of stairs."

Nick shook his head. "Geez," he replied. "That doesn't sound too good."

"You got that right, Wilde. That alone got the whole trip off on the wrong paw. So we're all makin' our way up the stairs. After hearing the complaint of how we should've just rented out a beach cottage instead, I decided we were just gonna pass time as he walked up a little more positively."

"How did you do that?"

"I already told ya how my friend John's a chatterbox, and how he'd talk your ear off if you let him. So I told him that he should tell us some of his stories while we walk up. So he did exactly that for a little bit…" The timber wolf placed a paw over his eyes as he recollected what had happened. "But it was _just_ before we were getting to the floor we were staying on that he informs us that he was going to tell us his saddest story yet."

There was a moment of silence, which Nick broke after a few seconds. "Well, don't leave me hangin'," he said. "What was that sad story he told you when you got there?"

Wolford let out a sigh. "He had left our room key at reception."


	67. The Most Special Order

"So you've decided on a traditional three-tier vanilla and blueberry cake with vanilla buttercream? That 'ere's an excellent choice, if I do say so myself." The fox chuckled alongside the customer over the phone, quickly grabbing the notepad to his right and jotting down the order that had been placed. "Alrighty, we'll get started on yer order right away…"

After he finished speaking with the customer, Gideon stepped out of his small office and into the main area of his bakery. The past two weeks had been considerably slow in terms of business, with not that many mammals coming in. All he had sold today was some of his pie (which was a given considering its popularity on the menu), a loaf of bread, and a small box of colorfully-frosted cookies.

But just when he had been muttering to himself about how the business wasn't as busy as it normally was, he had received an order for a wedding cake, something he hadn't received an order for in quite some time.

The fox surveyed the glass display case to see what they still had left in them. The variety of confections that were inside consisted of several different kinds of cookies, small cakes, muffins, big soft pretzels, and his shop's highly-adored pies.

Turning his attention away from what was still in the display case, he saw his good friend Travis sliding something into the oven a good distance away.

"One loaf of focaccia and another loaf of rye's in the oven," the ferret informed, wiping his paws off against his apron.

Gideon nodded. "That's good," he replied. "That focaccia you suggested addin' t' the menu's startin' t' become a new favorite."

"What would you do without my great ideas?" Travis joked.

The fox chuckled. What he said was true; it was thanks to Travis and his recommendations that led to him expanding the shop's menu and adding some new creations for customers to enjoy. He walked around to where the mustelid standing, showing the notepad he was carrying that had the newly-placed order scribbled upon it. "Just got an order placed in."

The ferret took the notepad from out of his paws and looked at what was written. On the piece of paper was the words: _Vanilla Buttercream Wedding Cake for_ _Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde._

"Well, I'll be darned," Travis remarked with a smile. "I'll reckon this is probably the most special order we've gotten in a long time."

"It sure is, Travis," Gideon replied. "And this weddin' cake she order for her and Nick's gonna be the best 'un we ever whipped up!"

* * *

 **Author's Note: This little idea's been buzzing around in my mind for awhile now and I decided to finally write it out. I've had the idea to write something that was centered around Gideon and his bakery for quite some time now, so that's where this came about. I hope to get some longer stories written in the future, but for now I hope y'all enjoyed this one, even though it was on the shorter side.**

 **'Til next time! :)**


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